I didn’t understand what he meant until I felt something hard in between his legs. My face flushed crimson and I struggled to get up but he stopped me. He took a long deep breath and asked in a hoarse voice, “Where are you going?”
I lowered my head and bit my lips. “I don’t want you to get distracted by me.”
He cocked his eyebrows. “You already did.”
I froze on the spot, feeling as if I was sitting on pins and needles. He put his arms around me and did nothing but let me lean against him. With that, he went back to his work. At that moment, I felt like a child who was sitting on her father’s lap.
I dared not move at all in the beginning. But after a while, I gradually loosened up. I placed my head on his shoulder and focused on watching him while he focused on his work.
I had no idea when I fall asleep. When I came to, I was already on the bed in the private restroom. I could hear Ashton and Joseph having a conversation.
Joseph said, “The situation this time is different from before. It seems like someone is intentionally adding fuel to the fire. They are trying to defame Fuller Corporation. Thanks to those media platforms as well as social media public accounts, rumors about Fuller Corporation have been spreading like wildfire on the internet recently. They’re even publicizing rumors about you and Mrs. Fuller.”
“Huh?” Ashton was surprised.
Joseph replied, “Rumor has it that you and Mrs. Fuller were in a marriage of convenience. That both of you married for material advantages, and not for love. Moreover, they even said both of you are cheating on each other. They’re saying that you have your lover and your own family and that Mrs. Fuller is having an affair with a married man and is living a messy love life.”
My brows knitted upon hearing that. In no time, I took out my phone to look at the local news which I had not been reading for ages. Indeed, as Joseph mentioned, the media had been slandering Ashton’s and my reputation. It was such a mess.
Meanwhile, outside of the private restroom, Ashton fell silent for a few seconds before he responded. “I got it. Don’t bother with this. For now, just continue to keep a close eye on Murphy Corporation. They have been turning round and round, trying to divert attention. They must be up to something.”
“Understood,” Joseph answered.
After that, all was quiet outside. I supposed Joseph had left. Hence, I got out of bed and walked out of the private restroom. Ashton was still flipping through his documents. He raised his eyes to look at me when he heard the sound of me coming into his office. “Are you hungry?”
I shook my head and walked over to him. “Is everything okay? Is it very difficult to deal with?”
He put down his pen and stood up. After taking his car keys and jacket, he grabbed my hand. “It’s fine. Let’s go eat.”
I was stunned for a moment. However, seeing how calm he was, I had no choice but to stop saying anything further.
We got into the car. I almost forgot my dinner appointment with John. Hence, I said, “Ashton, let’s head to La Morera.”
He hummed in response. I was a little confused to see him being so calm and relaxed. “Aren’t you feeling anxious about what happened to the company? Not even a little?”
He glanced at me out of the corner of his eyes and held my hand in the palm of his. He smiled softly, “Why? Are you worried that Fuller Corporation would get shut down and you wouldn’t be able to rely on me anymore?”
I pouted. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Don’t worry. This is all a set-up. I know what I’m doing.” His tone was indifferent, seemingly pretty confident.
There were always endless changes in the business world. It was unpredictable and one would never know what was coming next.
Hence, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
Before long, the car rolled to a stop in front of La Morera. After that, we got out of the car. The restaurant that John chose looked elegant. Initially, I thought he wanted to let off steam somewhere with the ambient glow of colorful neon lights and alcohol. That way, he could drink and vent his emotions at the same time. However, I did not expect the place turned out to be such a classic and vintage style restaurant.
After entering La Morera, the waitresses who were all dressed in classy silk dresses bowed politely in unison. “Welcome!”
I followed behind Ashton and grumbled, “What is John up to? It’s just dinner! Why is he making such a big deal out of it?”
After saying John’s name, a charming lady ushered us to a private dining room on the second floor. It was a window seat by the lake. We could enjoy the magnificent view of the lake’s night scenery by looking out the window. The lights that glittered off the lake at night were scenic and picturesque and the reflection of the night sky and lights seemed to be engraved onto the crystal clear lake. Even though I simply glanced at it, I could tell that the sight was breathtaking.
John was slouching back lazily in the chair, munching on some food. He looked like a cynical and sloppy person. When he saw me and Ashton, he swept his gaze over Ashton from head to toe and clicked his tongue. “Wow, since when has Mr. Fuller become such a needy kid? Are you following your wife anywhere she goes?”
Ashton simply gave him an indifferent look and completely ignored him. Then, he sat gracefully by the window. I took a seat as well and looked at John. I couldn’t stand seeing him behave so frivolously. Thus, I asked, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Looks like you’ve been doing well lately, Letty. Your face is getting rounder. it’s time for you to shed some weight.”
I was extremely annoyed with John. After not seeing him for so long, he just decided to take a dig at me the moment we meet? Hmph, I guess that must mean he’s not living that well, huh. I pursed my lips as I stared at him. “What’s with the mean words? Are you having a hard time recently? You just can’t be kind to others, can you?”
He rolled his eyes at me and said coldly, “What do you want to eat? The food here tastes really good. You should give it a try.”
