Promptly, Ashton opened his eyes and reached out his right hand to rap his knuckles against the file on the desk. “Since you aren’t going to accept the betrothal gift, this will be my dowry. Let’s get officially married again.”
We locked eyes across the table. When I saw the look of determination gleaming in his gaze, I couldn’t muster a proper response. He’s not joking at all.
On the other hand, Ashton remained as cool as a cucumber. “There are a total of one hundred and ninety-seven countries in this world. In these countries, there are about six hundred news outlets located worldwide. The cost of prime-time advertisement amounts to around forty million a day. With a three hundred million budget from Fuller Corporation’s quick turnover, it should be enough to keep the advertisements playing for a whole week.”
“Wait a minute, what advertisements are you talking about?” I blurted. Is he rambling to himself? Has he forgotten that I’m still here?
My question seemed to jolt Ashton out of his daze. However, his look of surprise was quickly replaced with a solemn one. “I’m talking about the advertising for our wedding. Since you are getting married to me, shouldn’t we broadcast it to the world?”
Oh my God, who on Earth taught him to say such absurd things with a straight face!
“Pull yourself together. Stop talking about marriage!” I gulped nervously. Did Simone’s tragedy freak him out? I couldn’t help but ask in worry, “Are you all right?”
For several moments, Ashton remained silent as his eyes locked onto my face. Wordlessly, he rose to his feet and circled the desk to make his way in front of my seat. All of a sudden, he lowered his head until it was mere inches from mine. Startled by our sudden proximity, I shied away. Yet, Ashton merely inched closer. Both of his hands clamped around the armrests of my chair, keeping me trapped against it.
It wasn’t until I had my back pressed against the chair that Ashton finally halted his advances. His mouth was so close to mine that the slightest quiver meant that our lips would meet.
“Does it look like I’m not all right?” A playful look flitted across Ashton’s dark eyes. “Is it so hard for you to take the title as my wife?”
Given the look of arrogance on his face, Ashton must have predicted that I was afraid of getting the short end of the stick.
Although I was reluctant to admit that Ashton’s assumptions were correct, it was fortunate that I had past experiences dealing with money. I won’t let him intimidate me with such ease.
With a deep inhale to regain my composure, I straightened my back. Startled by the sudden movement, Ashton flinched backward.
“Did I scare you?” I teased him with a smug smile. “Weren’t you so full of yourself when you asked me to be your wife?”
When Ashton realized I was only pulling his leg, the corners of his lips twitched upward into a smile. Swiftly, he planted a kiss on my lips before he drew himself to full height and backed away. “I’m being serious. In the past, the love I had for you was always restrained and limited. Now that we are spending the rest of our lives together, I want the entire world to know that we are a couple. Whenever someone sees your name, I want them to think of me too. Scarlett, even if we became inseparable, it will not be enough to convey the undying love I have for you.”
Ashton paused before he continued, “Once Shaun has been sent away, let’s go to Illurasia and register our marriage. We can hold our wedding ceremony there too. John can take care of the children while we embark on a honeymoon.”
Finally, I realized that Ashton was being serious.
He wanted to use our honeymoon as an excuse for some privacy. This way we could do as we pleased.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out the reason behind Ashton’s sudden yet romantic suggestion.
Now that I had a clear grasp of Ashton’s intentions, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to laugh or cry. “I know what you are trying to do. However, it’d be best if you dismiss that notion. We aren’t children; we should not spend on such extravagant things. Spending hundreds of millions to promote our wedding is too excessive. Ashton, you were raised with a strong military background. You shouldn’t forget the values of diligence and thriftiness that you’ve learned growing up. If I let you spend as you pleased, Grandpa will be rolling in his grave. He’ll be sure to haunt me in my dreams.”
Before Ashton had a chance to retort, I quickly rose to my feet and grabbed my bag. “I’m doing this for you,” I said as I strode out of the room. “If word about our marriage spreads, everyone will think that one of the most dignified men in K city has been reduced to nothing but a pathetic son-in-law who married into his wife’s family. To avoid a situation like that, we should keep a low profile, all right?”
After putting more emphasis on my last sentence, I yanked the door open and dashed out. I was afraid that Ashton might try to stop me. In haste, I headed into the elevator. It wasn’t until the elevator doors slid shut that I finally smiled in relief.
