“I was thinking,” I said, interrupting Ashton, “that even if Fuller Corporation goes bankrupt, we’ll still have help from John and the Moore family. Besides, I think I’m capable of raising three children. All I’m worried about is letting you down. You can’t enjoy the wealth and influence of being a president any longer. You’ll have to make do with our uneventful, quiet happiness. I suppose I’ll be your sugar mommy… “
I trailed off, noticing Ashton staring at me in bewilderment.
“Are you upset?” I asked timidly.
Any man who took pride in his masculinity usually recoiled at the idea of getting a sugar mommy.
Ashton wrinkled his brow for a moment, then abruptly chuckled. “Are you saying that you’ll raise me as well?”
I hadn’t expected him to respond so jovially. My tentative smile widened into a grin. “Sure, what’s your price?”
At my joke, Ashton burst into peals of genuine laughter. In that instant, the dark shadows that had hung over him seemed to have fled. He finally looked rejuvenated.
I saw my chance. Gently stroking his injured hand, I declared, “You’re mine now! I don’t like people who are constantly putting themselves down. You have to stay positive, or I’ll drop you off my list. There’s a long line waiting after you.”
A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes. He pinched my chin, compelling me to meet his eyes. “Then I’ll have to be a good boy and work hard then, won’t I?”
“You know it…” I nodded playfully.
Ashton dipped his head towards me, and before I realized what he was doing, he stole a kiss from me. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
I felt my cheeks instantly burn crimson. Gritting my teeth, I countered cheekily, “It’s a borderline pass. I’m sure you can do much better than that. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Ashton’s dark eyes seemed overwhelmed with emotion. He reached out and pulled me over, his arms encircling me in a tight hug. We were so close that I could hear the throb of his heartbeat and feel the rise and fall of his chest with every breath.
At that moment, the world and its worries seemed to fall away. All that remained was Ashton and me, wrapped in our mutual embrace. The two of us sat like this for what felt like an eternity. It was barely a few minutes later, however, when Ashton suddenly sprang up. He ran out of the room with me in tow, saying, “I’ve spent enough time feeling sorry for myself. It’s time to deal with the obstacles getting in my way of being a sugar baby.”
Seeing his renewed vigor, I merely smiled and allowed him to lead me down the stairs.
When we reentered the living room together, Bill and Tiffany were still seated inside.
Tiffany straightened up when she caught sight of Ashton, saying brightly, “Ashton, have you changed your mind? I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t be able to walk away from our family just like that.”
Ashton said nothing, silently leading me over to the sofa. We sat down facing Tiffany, and he took his time to settle down, crossing his legs before replying evenly, “I can rejoin the Hall family but on one condition. My children will remain with the Stovall family.”
A look of disquiet crossed Tiffany’s face. “You can’t do that. The babies have the blood of the Hall family running through their veins! You can’t leave them in the hands of outsiders.”
“You’re wrong,” Emma finally spoke. There was a tremor in her voice from the state of agitation she was evidently under. Impassionately, she continued, “The Stovall family has always treated any children as their own. Now that Ashton and Scarlett have reconciled, how can you call the Stovalls outsiders? If we’re talking about bringing up children, what do you have to say about a certain family that brutally abandoned its child for ten years, not caring whether it lived or died? What right do you have to decide for Ashton and Scarlett’s children?”
Emma turned to look at John after speaking. There seemed to be a fleeting acknowledgment of mutual agreement between the two. However, it was only a brief flash that quickly faded back into their original stiffness.
Ashton paid no heed to John and Emma’s marital rows. Carelessly, he answered Tiffany, “You’re too late. I’m already part of the Stovall family, and so are my children. Scarlett is the only one who has any say over where we go.”
Ashton paused to direct an intent look at me. “Isn’t that right, Honey?”
Caught off guard, I scrambled to keep up with his theatrical performance. “That’s right! Ashton’s mine. Don’t you use Facebook. Ms. Hall? The entire Fuller family belongs to the Stovall family now.”
