“Mr. Fuller, I didn’t know you were into young married ladies!” she joked.
Then she turned to look at me. “Scarlett, we should get going. If Nora and the others know about you and Mr. Fuller, Mr. Murphy is bound to find out. We wouldn’t want that to happen, would we!”
I felt uncomfortable at her words, and I stared at her with a frown. “Do you always speak so recklessly?”
“Y-You…” This seemed to piss her off, though she appeared to hold back her temper to save face.
I was planning to leave anyway, and I tried to pry Ashton’s arm from my waist. “It’s late. I should get going!”
Instead of loosening his arms, he tightened his hold on me with a scowl on his face. “Mr. Murphy?”
We were in a nightclub after all. Tessa’s words also did nothing to help my predicament. I could feel everyone’s stares boring into me.
I felt uneasy about the whole situation. I don’t want people to think of me as some married whore who goes around seducing other men! That’s just sick!
Suddenly I blurted in a fit of anger, “Ashton, what the heck do you want?”
I guess my voice had been louder than I’d expected. Even those who’d just been glancing at us from time to time were full-on staring at our exchange now.
Using all my strength, I tried to get up despite his unyielding hold. At most, I’ll just fall while trying.
He seemed to anticipate my movement and stood up with me.
He looked at the others and announced, “Thank you for hosting me today. It’s late, and I should get going.”
Derek appeared anxious since they hadn’t reached an agreement on the issues they had meant to discuss. He rushed forward to stop Ashton from leaving. With a brown-nosing smile on his face, he said, “Mr. Fuller, you’ve only been here for a while. You haven’t even enjoyed any of the drinks yet! Why don’t you stay and have a bit of fun before you leave?”
Ashton had an annoying habit. Even if he knew from the start that he didn’t want to work with someone, he would bring the person on a merry goose chase before telling them his decision.
At that moment, he looked at Derek with a warm smile on his face. “We can always get drinks again some other day. It’s rather late today and seeing as we’re not young men anymore, we should catch up on some rest and take better care of our health.”
Derek’s gaze landed on me at his words, and he shot a loaded smile at Ashton. “Of course, Mr. Fuller. We do need to get some more rest and take better care of ourselves.”
He continued, “Mr. Fuller, where are you staying? I can arrange a driver for you.”
Ashton raised his brows and replied, “No need. Please enjoy your drinks!”
He dragged me out of the room with him, calls of polite farewells following in our wake. Tessa left the room with us, and she urged me several times to leave with her.
I wanted to go back with her, but I couldn’t escape from Ashton’s grip of steel.
I pinched his waist hard in a fit of anger. He seemed utterly unaffected by my actions and merely lowered his head to give me a patronizing smile.
When we reached the pool hall, Ashton turned around to address Joseph, “Please send Ms. Dixon home.”
Joseph nodded wordlessly.
Tessa started fretting when she saw Ashton dragging me with him. She blocked his path and confronted him. “Mr. Fuller, Scarlett came here with me. I don’t think it would be appropriate for her to follow you home.”
Ashton arched a brow and replied sardonically, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong if my wife goes home with me, is there?”
Stunned, she paused for a moment before asking, “Your wife?”
Ashton just stared at her silently.
Just then, Joseph interrupted the conversation. “Ms. Dixon, where do you stay? I’ll send you back.”
Ashton had never been a patient man, and he began pulling me away with him.
If I go with him now, our lives will become irrevocably tangled once more.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, I couldn’t help but look back toward Tessa. I called out, “We’re just acquaintances; I’m not really his wife.”
This caused Ashton to furrow his brows. His grip on my waist tightened further as he turned his searching gaze on me. “Just acquaintances?”
I nodded. I felt a bit disconcerted, and I chalked it up to the alcohol I had drunk earlier.
Tessa seemed to let out a breath of relief when she heard me. She said to Ashton, “Mr. Fuller, you won’t enjoy yourself with an unwilling woman. Plus, you don’t know Scarlett that well, and it’s kind of inappropriate to be together at such a late hour. You can always get to know her better first before deciding if you want to hook up with her.”
An unpleasant feeling rose in my chest when I heard her little speech. Is she really helping me, or is she just picking on my faults in front of Ashton?
I couldn’t discern her true purpose, but I knew that I couldn’t let myself go back with Ashton.
I used all my might to pry Ashton’s arm away.
Utterly exasperated, I glared at him. “Ashton, y-you…”
“You really think I’ll let you go?”
I replied fiercely, “I’ll sue you for kidnapping!”
“Oh, I wasn’t aware that bringing one’s missing wife home is counted as kidnapping.”
Dumbfounded, I stared mutely at him. My head continued to spin. It must be the drinks; after all, I haven’t had alcohol in a long time. That must be why I’m feeling so woozy now.
