Chapter 108
Ces
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I stayed silent and just listened, not wanting to upset Ashton by saying the wrong thing. My thoughts drifted to my own parents‘ car accident. Had it truly been an accident, or was there something more sinister behind it? I was too young at the time to understand the details. Ethan had handled everything, and perhaps he was the only one who knew the truth. I decided I’d ask him when we saw him later.
Ashton didn’t say another word since I wasn’t speaking either, and the silence stretched between us as
we continued the drive.
When we arrived at the Mercer estate, the automatic gate recognized my car, and I was able to drive straight into the yard.
The housekeeper, Tina, was outside. When she spotted us, she greeted me warmly. “Elaine, you’re back! Let me inform Mr. and Mrs. Mercer right away.”
“There’s no need, Tina. I’ll head inside myself,” I replied with a smile.
Her gaze flicked to Ashton as he stepped out of the car and walked over to my side. I could see the curiosity in her expression, so I looped my arm through his and introduced him. “Tina, this is my boyfriend, Ashton.”
Even though Tina was the housekeeper, she’d been with the Mercers longer than I had and was close to Tessa. It was important to put on a convincing show for her, too.
Ashton nodded politely. “Hello, Tina.”
“Hello,” she replied, though her tone betrayed her disapproval.
In everyone’s eyes, I was still supposed to be Logan’s fiancée. It was only natural for them to feel uneasy seeing me with another man. Tina’s reaction was just the beginning–I’d have to face Ethan
and Tessa’s reactions next.
I ignored the tension and walked toward the main hall with Ashton by my side.
Even before entering, I could hear Tessa’s sharp voice criticizing Ethan. “You’re great at being a chairman and managing thousands of employees, but you can’t even manage your own sons! Both of them are nothing but troublemakers!”
Ethan remained silent, and I could imagine him pretending to be deaf, likely burying himself in his phone or a magazine.
“Tessa, are you pretending I’m invisible again?” she snapped, her voice rising in frustration.
Even though they loved each other deeply, bickering between them wasn’t uncommon. But something must have upset Tessa more than usual to make her this angry today.
“I’m not pretending. If I respond, you’ll just nag me even more,” Ethan finally replied, his tone casual.
“I
gave birth to your children and raised them, and now I’m just a nuisance? Ethan, you’re a scoundrel! Don’t you dare touch me! Get away!”
Ashton and I stepped into the main hall just in time to witness Tessa sitting on Ethan’s lap, trying to push him away while he held her firmly.
We froze in the doorway, unsure whether to enter or retreat.
Embarrassment washed over me. Here we were, pretending to be a couple, and we’d walked straight
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into a display of genuine affection between a married pair.
Forget it. It was better to avoid them for now.
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But before we could back away, Tessa’s dog barked excitedly at me. I’d spent a lot of time with it during my stay at the Mercer estate, and it seemed it hadn’t forgotten me.
The barking caught Ethan’s attention. He looked up, and when he noticed Ashton and me standing at the door, his face flushed briefly with embarrassment. He quickly released Tessa.
“Elaine’s here,” Ethan muttered, taking Tessa’s hand.
She shook him off and hurried over to me. “Elaine, you’re back! Have you eaten yet? I’ll tell Tina to prepare something…”
“Actually, I already have,” I lied, realizing only then that I hadn’t even considered whether Ashton had
eaten.
“Why don’t you ever come home for dinner?” Tessa chided softly. Although she seemed focused on me, I could sense her disapproval of Ashton’s presence.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen him–she was simply expressing her discomfort in her own way.
After a deliberate pause, Tessa finally acknowledged Ashton. “You must be Elaine’s friend.”
I squeezed Ashton’s arm gently. He responded smoothly, “Hello, Mrs. Mercer. I’m Ashton Drake.”
Tessa gave a curt nod. “You’re a friend of Elaine’s, so don’t stand on ceremony. Please, come in.”
Ethan had risen from his seat by then. I walked over to him and handed him the gift I’d brought. “Happy birthday in advance, Ethan.”
“Elaine, you’re always so thoughtful,” Ethan said with a warm smile as he accepted the gift. Then, his gaze shifted to Ashton.
“Hello, Mr. Mercer,” Ashton greeted him respectfully.
Ethan nodded. “Have a seat.”
Tessa called for Tina to bring coffee and fruit. As we settled into our seats, I could feel Tessa wat ching Ashton and me closely. Finally, she spoke.
“Elaine, don’t think you can skip the party just because you brought Ethan his gift early. He and I won’t allow it.”
It was as if she could read my mind and see through my plan to avoid the party.
But I wasn’t going to back down so easily. I smiled and replied, “Of course not. Ashton and I will definitely be there.”
My words were deliberate–I was making it clear that if I attended, Ashton would be by my side.
Tessa’s smile faltered for a brief moment before she recovered her composure. “Sure. There will be many outstanding young men at the party. A wonderful opportunity for you young people to mingle.”
Her words weren’t directed at me–they were a warning to Ashton. She was reminding him that the party would be filled with wealthy and influential men, subtly suggesting that he didn’t belong in my world.
In their eyes, Ashton was just an ordinary worker, no match for the capitalists they were accustomed
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- to. By looking down on Ashton, they were looking down on me too.
But instead of defending him, I remained silent. I wanted to see how Ashton would handle the situation–if he could hold his ground while maintaining his dignity.
Ashton stayed calm and composed. “I look forward to meeting more influential figures in Hilcord. After all, I plan on furthering my career here.”
I smiled inwardly. He could be infuriatingly clever when he wanted to be.
Tessa’s expression flickered with displeasure, though she kept her smile intact. “Will you be staying in Hilcord in the long run, Ashton?”
I felt Ashton’s hand wrap around mine, his fingers lacing through mine firmly. “Yes. Elaine is here, so naturally, I’ll stay with her.”
This time, he called me Elaine, and I saw the shock on both Ethan and Tessa’s faces. His words had clearly hit a nerve.
Tessa turned to Ashton directly. “Mr. Drake, what can you offer Elaine if you were to be together?”
Her tone was eerily similar to my mother’s.
I looked at her, but her gaze was fixed on Ashton, waiting for his response.
Following her lead, I turned to Ashton as well.
Suddenly, I found myself eager to hear his answer.
