Ashton continued tapping away at his phone, his demeanor languid. “She’s no longer carrying herself the way a celebrity should. Four years of being in the limelight is enough. It’s time to make way for the new generation.”
“I understand. What about her mother, Vanessa?”
“You make the call. Also, find another celebrity to replace Nancy. This time around, get someone decent.”
Joseph nodded. He gave me a quick look before leaving.
Back in the living room, Summer was chatting happily away with her dog, Snowfluff. It was indeed a wonderful companion for her.
Meanwhile, I tried placating Ashton about the incident earlier on. “There’s really no need to go this far on Nancy!”
He responded with an enigmatic smile. He proceeded to blow on the hard-boiled egg Susan had cooked before gently placing it on my bruise; this helped ease blood circulation.
It was not as serious as Ashton had made it out to be. The marks were barely visible now.
“She needs to learn her place. There are some people in this world she can’t afford to offend,” he said indifferently.
Before I could respond, Ashton noticed Susan had finished preparing dinner. He took my hand, carried Summer in one arm and led the way into the dining room.
Soon, the weekend arrived. Ashton had booked an early flight for us to return to K City. Summer was still fast asleep in his arms.
It was only in the waiting area that Summer had woken up. She noticed beside her, there was a kid approximately seven or eight months old being cradled in by his mom.
The vivacious child was moving about spiritedly. When he saw the donut plush Summer was holding, he reached out his tiny set of hands. Conflicted, she looked at her precious donut, and then at the kid’s expectant pair of eyes.
After some moments of deliberation, she walked towards the child’s mom. “Miss, can he play with this?” Summer gestured at her plushy.
The woman understood her grand gesture and nodded appreciatively.
Seeing her donut given away, Summer surpassed the sad longing that was welling up within her. She ran back to Ashton and me before asking, “Mommy, will you give me a brother in the future?”
Clearly, Summer did not understand the complexities of her words. Ashton chuckled before pulling her into his arms. “Not so fast, brat. Your mommy is going to give me a child.”
It was amusing to see him take her seriously.
Summer pursed her lips, looking serious. “Then, will you marry Mommy?”
“Of course!” Ashton proclaimed. His gentle gaze looking right at me.
Feeling satisfied with his response, Summer asked chirpily, “Mommy, once you’re married to Mr. Fuller, will I have a daddy? Will I also have a brother too?”
I could only answer with a helpless smile. Noticing the clock, I stood up. “It’s time for boarding. Let’s go.”
Summer felt unsatisfied with my answer, but just like a child of her age, she was quick to forget.
Fast forward in the cabin, Summer had fallen sound asleep. Ashton chose this time to pick up where they left off earlier. “How about we get married in October?”
That’s next month!
This was happening all too fast for me. “Ashton, let’s just take things slow.”
Compared to marriage, Summer’s future was my priority once we returned to K City.
Despite my rejection, he replied patiently, “Ok. I’ll wait until you’re ready.”
I slept throughout our four-hour flight.
Upon touchdown, Ashton received a work call. As the chairperson of a listed company, it was natural for him to be busy.
He glanced at his watch before saying, “I’ll get the chauffeur to send you and Summer back to the villa first. I’ll be back in time for lunch.”
“What time will that be?”
“Half-past twelve.” With that, he gave a light peck on my forehead before sending us off.
Approximately forty minutes later, Summer and I arrived at the villa. Ashton had been living here for the past four years, and even the housekeeper had changed.
The chauffeur carried our belongings in and gave the housekeeper a few instructions before he bade farewell.
After a tiring flight, Summer was sound asleep on the sofa. I was fiddling with my phone, getting bored with reading the same old news on the internet.
Unexpectedly, I chanced upon a headline mentioning both Fuller and White Corporation. Both companies had been engaged in a long-standing rivalry with each other for the past four years. Neither side seemed to be giving in.
In fact, rather than it being a rivalry between corporations, many would see it as a personal competition between Ashton and Marcus.
