Not long after we ended the call, Emery sent me a text message: The media back in the country found you and Ashton are staying in the same hotel. Just be careful of Thora.
Isn’t it ridiculous for a couple, who has been married for years, to become the talk of the town when they stay in the same hotel?
I replied immediately: Got it. Thanks for the heads up. You be careful too. Emery was our close friend, and I was worried for her safety as well.
The woman replied casually: Nah, I’ll be fine. I’m not alone anyway. I chuckled at that message. She must have had the time of her life yesterday.
I teased: Wow. Looks like you had a lot of fun with a special someone last night. Alexander had done all he could to get her attention. Who could resist a man like him?
Emery expressed her dismay in her next message to me, texting: Stop right there, woman. It has nothing to do with him, alright? You know what? I don’t have to explain myself to you. I’m gonna go have more fun now. Ciao!
I closed the app after reading her message and shook my head with a grin. Sadly, that short burst of happiness disappeared the moment I thought of Ashton. My expression turned grim once again.
How I wish Ashton gets the love he deserves just as much as everyone else
Unfortunately, there’s nothing he can do to change his fate. The least I can do now is to keep him company and show him that he isn’t alone.
We touched down at J City in the evening on the next day and immediately paid Charlie a visit.
Ashton’s uncle was busy sprucing up his garden when we arrived.
Ashton walked up and greeted him with a blank face.
At the sound of his voice, Charlie turned around and looked at us. He froze for a moment before asking, “Hey. Since when did you two come back?”
Somehow, I felt there was something amiss with his delayed response.
Charlie was the only Fuller who knew Christopher well. He must have some inside stories about Ashton’s father that he could share with us.
Throughout the years, Charlie had raised Ashton well. Though Helen often gave them a hard time, the two men still maintained a close relationship. Since Charlie raised him like his own, Ashton did not believe his uncle would lie about his father’s death.
There was no reason for Charlie to lie to Ashton.
Charlie might not know the entire truth, but that did not mean the man was entirely innocent. He had watched Ashton suffered for the last two decades, yet he chose not to tell him anything about Christopher. Does this mean he’s not at fault? I don’t think so.
Christopher had been in hiding for decades. He could have stayed away from Ashton and carried the secret to the grave, yet he chose to appear before his son. There was a high chance Christopher must have been in contact with the Fullers.
Ashton stared at his uncle and asked in an intimidating voice, “Do you really not know why we’re back?”
Ever since the passing of Christopher and his wife, Ashton had lived with George and Charlie. Growing up, Ashton had always been emotionally unavailable. Charlie knew one day, this young man would become even more impassive. He had finally witnessed that today.
Charlie looked at Ashton and froze. He lowered his head to avoid his glare. “Watch your manners, Ashton,” he said, “How do you expect to know everything about you? You must be tired. Go and take a rest in the guest room. We clean it every day, hoping that you’ll come and visit.”
He seemed a little absentminded as he spoke, even going as far as accidentally pruning some branches off a well-shaped shrub. However, the man soon snapped out of it, turning around and ordering the maid, “Carry their stuff into the house.”
The maid came up and carried our luggage. “Please come with me, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller.”
Unlike Ashton, Charlie was not great at hiding his emotions. Based on his reaction, I believed Christopher must have approached him before.
We decided to come unannounced in the late evening because we did not want Charlie to avoid us. Now that we were face to face with him, we hoped he could tell us the truth.
