Chapter 1745 Addicted To Ice
It was rare to find someone who could resist Ashton’s terrifying pressure. After two minutes of silence, a teary-eyed Joseph finally gritted his teeth and gave a dip of his head.
No one could comprehend the immense pressure that he was feeling at that moment. His body had surrendered although his pride did not allow it.
“Very well,” Ashton said plainly. “Clean yourself up and go plead Ms. Larson for forgiveness.”
Joseph was no longer the same person as before. With an indifferent expression, he got up holding the ice in his hands. He knelt in front of Ashton, hung his head low, and said in a low voice, “I’ll take care of it, Mr. Fuller. Thank you for bringing me these.”
Lowering his gaze and as if he was omnipotent, Ashton stood up and said impatiently, “This is the first and also the last time. If this happens again, I’m sure you know what the consequences are.”
At that moment, I felt as if I saw Nathaniel in him.
Despite being the one responsible for destroying everything, he behaved as if he was a god who had come to save the weak.
“I do.” Joseph looked as though he had aged by two decades. Gasping for breath weakly like an old man, he stared listlessly at the muddy ground in front of him. “I will become your most impressive dog.”
“Enough!” I could no longer stand the sight of it. I sprinted downstairs and before anyone realized what was going on, I swung my hand and gave Ashton a slap. “You b*stard!”
Somehow, Ashton had become quick-tempered. The slap seemed to have awoken the rage in him. As he stared at me with his burning eyes, the throbbing veins on his face seemed to presage that he was about to explode.
I was afraid that he would break ties with me and completely change into another person because of that. After all, I was not emotionally prepared for it.
Swallowing a lump in my throat, I turned around to help Joseph up. “Come with me!”
However, Joseph tugged my arm and refused to get up. “I’m fine, Mrs. Fuller. Please don’t put Mr. Fuller in a difficult position.”
“I’m saving you!” When I saw how he was unable to differentiate who had his best interest at heart, I turned red with anger. “Wake up, Joseph! What Ashton has given you will only harm you. If you continue to follow him, you will only fall deeper into the abyss!”
The moment he heard my words, Joseph sat back on the ground, pitiful and powerless. “This is my choice.”
I furrowed my brows in disbelief. I was briefly stunned. In an act of desperation, I tried to pull him up. “No, you’re not being rational now. Whatever you say or decide just doesn’t make sense. You have to leave with me!”
Perhaps I wasn’t trying to fight with either Ashton or Nathaniel anymore. I probably couldn’t get past myself. I couldn’t allow myself to see a second friend abandon me under physical and mental duress.
Unfortunately, whatever little strength I had wasn’t enough to move Joseph’s well-built body once he put his weight on the ground.
When despair finally got the better of me, I released him and let out a dejected sigh. Lowering my head toward the ground, I suddenly felt my head spin.
Am I dreaming? Or is this all just an illusion? How did things escalate out of control as if there is no way out?
An awkward silence descended upon the scene. Neither of us intended to say a word. As for Nathaniel who was upstairs, he too didn’t take any action. I wasn’t sure if he and Ashton knew of each other’s presence and that this was all just an act to feel each other out.
Nevertheless, one thing was for certain. Regardless of whether Ashton was good or evil, he had shown all his cards. Getting Joseph addicted to ice was a sign of him walking toward the path of darkness.
There was no better person to run a cigarette business than a cigarette addict. The only thing Ashton was conscious about was not getting himself addicted. He had chosen to let Joseph take his place instead as a slave to ice.
