After all, I could not sell Emery out by telling Ashton that she did not like how ambitious and reckless he was.
But my worry was just as valid. He had to do everything by himself because there was no one he could trust, and because of that, he did not even have time to rest! I was afraid that he might collapse due to exhaustion one day.
Upon hearing that, Ashton responded with a casual voice, “Don’t you believe me?”
“That’s not what I meant.” I lowered my head and mumbled, “I’m just worried for you.”
Putting down the cutlery, Ashton inched his face closer to mine and teased, “You look like a little lost lamb that needs protection. I guess you want me to ‘take care’ of you like how I did yesterday, huh?”
He even intentionally emphasized the last line and smirked!
Why do men always think with their members! Argh!
I turned around and stared at him. “Stop it. I’m serious.”
Yet, Ashton did not take me seriously. Holding up his chin, he leaned against the couch and gave me a sensuous look. “I’m serious too. Look at me and tell me what you want, Mrs. Fuller.”
As the heater was turned on, Ashton only wore a thin shirt. He left the top two buttons undone, revealing his tanned chest and abs when he lazed on the couch.
I swallowed the fluid lodged in my throat and looked away. “Watch your behavior. You’re still in the office.”
“What behavior?” Ashton continued teasing.
After regaining my composure, I put on a serious face to tell him that I meant business. “You can’t be…”
The moment I turned around, I realized that Ashton was already standing right in front of me. Instantly, I got tongue-tied.
A corner of his lips quirked up, and he squinted his eyes seductively. I could feel this warm breath on the back of my neck when he continued to inch closer. Immediately, my mind turned blank completely, and I did not remember what I wanted to say anymore. He managed to change the topic sneakily, leaving me at a loss. As he approached me, I could catch a whiff of his scent, which had a hypnotizing effect on me.
All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door before things spiraled out of control.
Ashton’s expression instantly changed. The moment he noticed Stella standing by the door, he returned to his seat and said calmly, “Come in.”
While I was tidying up my clothes, Stella had already entered the office.
After greeting Ashton, she shifted her gaze to me with a hesitant look on her face as though she was not sure if she should speak in front of me.
By right, that should be her least concern since I was a shareholder of the Fuller Corporation.
“Go on.” Ashton put on his usual professional look.
Stella lowered her eyes and passed a document to him. As he was flipping through the pages, she explained, “We have had verbal agreements with all the persons in charge of these projects early this year, but all of them called in the afternoon and expressed their intention to cancel the collaboration with us. Many have confirmed that they’re withdrawing from our partnership, whereas Mr. Rosenthaler is still trying his best to convince a few more to stay with us. But according to his secretary, Mr. Rosenthaler is not confident that he could turn things around, and he hopes that our company could step in and manage the situation as soon as possible.”
