I hurriedly alighted and ran over to his car. “What happened?” I asked.
Ashton turned around upon hearing my voice. “I have encountered a trouble maker. Why are you here?” He was surprised to see me.
“Uncle Louis is back, so John invited us over for dinner.” I had a better look at the girl he was supporting. She was Stella, the reception at Fuller Corporation. Ashton helped her into the car and remarked, “Okay, but we have to send her to the hospital first.”
I nodded in agreement. From a distance, a man came running. It was the guy who proposed to Stella in the lobby.
“Let me go with you, Mr. Fuller,” he requested. His worried gaze never left Stella, who was lying unconscious in the backseat.
Ashton nodded and signaled him to get into the car.
I noticed Ashton was injured, so I stopped him from getting into the driver’s seat. He looked at me, baffled.
“You are injured. Let me drive.” I got into the driver’s seat and started the car, not giving him any chance to object.
Ashton sat in the passenger seat and kept silent throughout the journey. I had many questions in mind but keep quiet as well since he was not ready to talk about it. Much to the distress of her friend, Stella remained unconscious.
At the hospital, Stella’s friend went off to make payment after checking her in. Ashton and I were standing in the corridor, watching the sky as it darkened. He was engrossed in thought.
I approached a nurse and arranged for him to get his wounds cleaned up. Next, I went to a nearby mall to get him a new jacket. Ashton was only wearing a black sweater as he had removed his jacket to keep Stella warm.
On my way back, Stella’s friend called out to me in the lobby of the hospital. “Mrs. Fuller, thank you for sending Stella here.”
He must have been extremely anxious over Stella’s injury, as he looked disheveled and his face beaded with sweat. “Don’t mention it. It was no big deal,” I assured him
I paused, then queried, “Can you tell me what happened earlier today?”
He was momentarily taken aback by my question. “It was Sasha’s brother. He wanted to attack Mr. Fuller, but Stella blocked him. He behaved like a crazy man. Mr. Fuller was worried Sasha’s brother would get more agitated upon seeing him, so he left the building via the underground garage. The lobby at Fuller Corporation must still be in chaos now,” he reported.
He did not go into many details, but I could imagine the scene. What puzzled me was that Shane had always been based in Moranta. Why did he come back?
“We should thank you and Stella instead,” I nodded and thanked him.
After we ended our conversation, I went up to the ward, shopping bag in hand. Ashton’s wounds were dressed. The doctor had attended to Stella and found she had suffered head trauma. There were various abrasion wounds on her body too. “Why is she still unconscious, doctor?” I queried.
“She was injured on the head, and was also traumatized, so it may take a few hours before she regains consciousness.” The doctor advised as he gave instructions for her to be warded.
“Will she suffer from any long-term side effects?” Her friend was concerned.
“We can’t tell for now. With head injuries, we cannot rule out a concussion. We will find out when she wakes up.”
I handed the newly bought jacket to Ashton. He looked sullen. “Can we still make it to meet Uncle Louis tonight? If not, I will give him a call so they won’t expect us.” I asked.
Ashton’s expression softened as he turned his gaze on me. He took the jacket from me and put it on. “It’s alright. We can head over in a while,” he responded.
Thereafter, he turned to Stella’s friend and asked, “You are Justin, right?”
“Yes, I am, Mr. Fuller,” Justin replied.
“You stay and take care of Stella. Should anything happen, call the number on this name card. You can contact me anytime if you need anything, be it money or other things.” Ashton handed a name card to Justin.
I grimaced. Ashton had an unusual way of dealing with people and situations.
“Thank you.” Justin’s expression changed, but he still took the name card.
Ashton was about to lead me away when I stopped and took a bank card from my bag. I handed over the card to Justin and said, “Please help us take good care of Stella. Use this card to pay for her medical fees and any other expenses. Feel free to contact us if you need other assistance. When Stella wakes up, kindly let her know that she should rest well and not worry about anything else. We will handle the other matters.”
Justin hesitated for a moment before accepting the bank card and nodded in appreciation.
After that, Ashton and I left the hospital.
He made a few calls while I was driving to Stovall residence. He called to remind Joseph, who was in Moranta, to be careful. A few calls were made to give instructions to look into the incident that happened earlier in the day. He heard that Shane was taken away by the police.
I drove in silence while he was busy, not wanting to interrupt him.
After a while, I broke the silence. “Why did Shane try to attack you? You did not harass his woman, and you have no monetary conflict with him either. Why is a gambler after you?”
