Unfortunately, Tiffany was too late. Rage was already spreading in Ashton’s bloodshot eyes like a wildfire. No one could say for sure what he would do at this rate. “I’m asking you one last time. Did Nicolas do it?” he roared.
His shout reverberated in the living room, his booming voice bouncing off the walls. Even I was shaken.
I could imagine the shock for Ashton. The Halls abandoned him when he was a kid, and now they even targeted the people he loved the most. I could not help but wonder if they took Ashton as their son or as their enemy.
Tiffany’s usually well-composed face turned estranged. Her neckline stiffened as she swallowed hard. “Yes… But.. I didn’t do anything! I only overheard dad talking about it when he was in his study,” Tiffany explained, her lips shaking in fear.
“Ah! You jer…”
Ashton flung his fist toward her before she could even say the word “jerk.”
But instead of dealing her a square blow, Ashton’s arm froze in the air for a good ten seconds before it landed on the couch beside Tiffany. By the time everyone came back to their senses, there was a huge dent in the couch because of the impact.
Tiffany was one of the few women on the Forbes list. Despite her shriek and her trembling body, she still managed to feign composure, acting indifferent. “Dad is in charge of all decisions at home. I’m just his puppet. I didn’t get much say of my own for the past twenty years either, so you can’t blame me, Ashton,” she said, tidying up her clothes in an attempt to conceal her nerves.
“As for the poison in Scarlett’s body, only Dad has the antidote. You should calm down and think things through clearly. Since he’s willing to listen to me and accept you, don’t you think going back with your children is the best option now? Try being a good son to him. Who knows, maybe he’ll soften his heart. You’re a businessman yourself. You should know there are times when we need to lose the battle to win the war.”
Although Ashton was on the verge of going berserk, Tiffany was still able to talk to him calmly, showcasing just how strong her will was. But as strong as she may seem, her evasive gaze soon landed on Bill, and the two took it upon themselves to leave immediately after.
Once they were gone, the whole living room fell into dead silence. Ashton’s head drooped low in devastation, and he stood motionless for a long time.
As I expected, Nicolas had been watching his every move. Everything that happened was within his calculation.
Ashton’s every move from J City to K City, including his career, his family, and the child we lost, were all under his supervision. Nicolas had the opportunity to save our first child, but he had not done so. Since he saw Ashton’s child as a shameful stain to his family, there was no reason for him to save that child, and neither would he accept me as Ashton’s wife.
However, Nicolas had no choice but to back down now. He realized that Ashton and the Stovall family were not people he could mess with anymore. If he wanted the children, he had no other option but to accept me and Ashton, no matter how much the Hall family despised us.
To put it plainly, both of us were necessary evil he had to bear because he wanted the children.
“There’s nothing we can do now. Both of you only have one option. That’s to go back to the Hall family and try to get the cure for Letty. As for our next step, we will play by ear.” John’s apathetic voice cut through the silence, but I could still sense a hint of anger in his tone.
The surrounding air suddenly turned solemn.
Everyone had heard what Tiffany said clearly—I was poisoned because of Ashton. Although it was not his fault per se, everyone was still exasperated.
Ashton did not reply to John. Seeing him seemingly unmoved, the latter’s fists tightened as he got ready to speak again.
“Give us some time to discuss this,” I intervened before John could open his mouth to say another word.
John might not know what Ashton was thinking, but I knew. His parents had made his life a living hell for the past twenty-plus years. It would not be easy to welcome his parents with open arms overnight.
