I nodded and replied, “I’m fine. Sir, my family is here now. Thanks for your help, and sorry for all the trouble. You can go now.”
Looking slightly intimidated by the expression on Ashton’s face, the driver shuddered a little. Bowing his head, he muttered one last apology before bolting out of the door.
However, the nurse didn’t seem to want to leave. She stood by the bed, arranging the medicine bottles slowly, shooting admiring glances at Ashton when she thought he wasn’t looking.
Ashton was a handsome man to begin with, and he attracted the attention of people wherever he went. Besides, because of the cold, arrogant expression he constantly wore on his face, girls tended to flock to him in droves.
“How did you get hit by a car?” Ashton asked, shooting a look of consternation at my bandaged foot. It quite resembled a dumpling.
I thought for a moment before replying sheepishly, “I got lost in my thoughts while walking and accidentally walked onto the road. That’s how I got myself into this spot of trouble.”
Ashton frowned. “What do you even have eyes for?”
I pouted sulkily. Tilting my head at him, I demanded, “Shouldn’t you be hugging and comforting me right now? I’m not really in the mood for another lecture.”
The nurse finally left the room. I looked up at him and muttered, “Stop being so cold all the time. I might misunderstand one day and think you have zero concern for me.”
He walked over to me and looked down at my bandaged injuries. Sighing, he said, “Make sure you look out for cars when you’re walking. Thank goodness you only sustained light injuries this time. If it were any more serious, I might see you at the mortuary.”
I was speechless.
This man’s thought process never failed to amaze me.
Ashton glanced at the box of pastries next to my bed. “Were you buying these when you got knocked over by the car?”
I nodded enthusiastically and smiled up at him. “Do you want to try some? They taste pretty good. I had pastries from this shop once and they were the best I’ve ever tasted. I went and got more of them today!”
Ashton frowned—he wasn’t exactly a big fan of pastries. “Do you want to eat them?”
I raised an eyebrow and jerked my chin towards my bandaged hands. “Do you think I could eat by myself now?”
His lips curved into a smile, looking so handsome that it was almost a sin. “Show me how much you love me, and I’ll consider feeding you.”
“Show you what?” I asked, cocking my head in confusion.
He told me. However, one look at the mischievous expression in his eyes told me all I needed to know.
I froze for a second before registering his words.
He brought his face closer to me. I was too lazy to play games with him—instead, I planted a kiss on his cheeks and asked smilingly, “Are you happy now?”
Ashton smirked and grinned back at me. “Just barely!”
After a few bites of the pastries, I gazed at him and ventured cautiously, “Ashton, do you think the dead can come back to life?”
On the day of Marcus’s death, I saw his lifeless body laying in a pool of his own blood. How was it possible that he had come back to life?
Ashton gazed at me and knitted his brows. “Did you see something? Why are you suddenly asking that question?”
“Oh, it’s nothing!” I replied, laughing it off. I tried to change the topic hastily. “I was just a little curious, that’s all.”
My injuries weren’t that serious, and I found it too difficult to rest in the hospital. After a few hours there, I found myself begging Ashton to take me back to the villa.
After dropping me off in the bedroom, he made his way to the study, saying that he still had work to do.
Thoughts of Marcus still haunted my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about the man I had met in the city center today.
After lying in bed for a long time, I finally gave in and gave John a call.
When he finally picked up the phone, he sounded very tired indeed. “It’s been five hours, you know. Tell me honestly—why did you skip our appointment today?”
At this, I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to meet John at Joy Luck Boutique for my gown fitting today.
Immediately, I started apologizing to him. “I’m terribly sorry, but I got knocked down by a car on my way there. I just got back from the hospital. Sorry, I should’ve informed you about it.”
“What? You got knocked down by a car? What happened?” John yelped.
The story was too long and complicated for me to tell him about it right now. Instead, I jumped straight to the point. “John, do you know who the coroner in charge was of inspecting Marcus’s body?”
John spluttered in confusion, “Marcus has already been cremated and turned to ashes! What’s going on now? Did you suddenly discover that you were in love with him all along?”
Feeling rather annoyed, I snapped, “Oh, stop talking rubbish? I saw someone who looked exactly like John today. They looked perfectly identical! I could almost swear they were the same person.”
“Did you get injured because you were chasing after him?” John sounded rather mocking now. “My dear Scarlett, the man is dead. Do you really believe that he would suddenly come back alive? Unless he faked his death, there’s no way you’ll ever see him again. Stop digging yourself into a bigger mess and get ready for the banquet!”
I pursed my lips. I wanted to argue with John, but he would probably think I was going insane.
After making some small talk, I hung up the phone miserably.
At that moment, I realized that Ashton had been standing in the doorway, listening to our entire conversation. His expression looked rather grim.
“Are you done with your work?” I asked, hastily dropping my phone aside.
He continued to gaze at me, his cold eyes boring straight into mine.
“Stop making calls here and there. If you’re as tired as you claim to be, go to sleep immediately!” His words were supposed to comfort me, but they sounded aloof and detached to my ears.
I nodded. I wanted to tell him something else, but he had already left the room, slamming the door shut heavily behind him.
