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Chapter 110
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“Elaine, the car accident your parents were in all those years ago truly was an accident. I was at the scene. There are police reports and assessments to prove it,” Ethan said heavily.
I hadn’t been there and didn’t know the full details. At the time, Ethan had stopped me from going, wanting to protect me from seeing how gruesome it had been. But it had also become one of my biggest regrets in life.
“Elaine, if you still have any doubts or don’t believe me, you can review the records from back then.” Ethan’s face had gone pale, the joy from our earlier conversation completely drained.
I knew Ethan and my father had a bond as strong as that of real brothers. Talking about my parents‘ death must have dredged up painful memories for him.
I reached out and held his arm. “No need. I believe you. I was just curious, that’s all.”
Ethan gazed at me for a moment, as if considering his words. But in the end, he didn’t say anything.
After a long pause, he sighed. “Elaine, go downstairs first. I need some time alone.”
My heart sank. He had wanted to go down with me, but now he’d changed his mind. “Ethan…”
“I’m fine. Run along now.” He waved his hand dismissively.
Reluctantly, I left the study. But instead of heading downstairs right away, I leaned against the wall outside and thought about his reaction.
Ethan’s behavior was unusual, but his sincerity left me uncertain. Was he really hiding something?
After a while, I made my way downstairs, where I heard Tessa and Ashton talking.
At first, I was worried. I hadn’t been sure if they would get along or if Tessa would make things difficult for him. But when I caught the sound of Tessa’s laughter, I felt relieved.
What could Ashton have possibly said to make Tessa, who had clear reservations about him, laugh?
Curious, I walked down quietly and overheard Tessa reminiscing.
“She was such a mischievous child. She was only this tall,” Tessa said, holding her hand low to illustrate. “And whenever she saw me, she wouldn’t hesitate to call me ‘Mom.‘ I used to say, ‘If only you were my real daughter.“”
Tessa chuckled softly before continuing, “Her mother even suggested arranging a marriage between her and one of my sons–either Logan or Miles. But Miles was much older than her, so we settled on Logan.”
This was the first time I’d ever learned why they had chosen Logan for the arranged marriage instead of Miles.
“After her mother suggested it, Elaine immediately declared she wanted to marry Logan. She wasn’t shy at all!” Tessa said, laughing at the memory.
So, it wasn’t Ashton who’d made her laugh–it was her own nostalgic musings. She was probably telling Ashton all of this to provoke him.
“Elaine’s always been like that. She also loved calling people ‘brother‘ and asking them to carry her,” Ashton chimed in.
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I froze in shock. He spoke as though he knew my childhood, but I quickly realized he was just playing along with Tessa’s story.
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, both Tessa and Ashton turned to look at me. For a moment, the room fell silent.
Tessa broke the pause. “Where’s Ethan? Why didn’t he come down with you?”
Recalling his reaction upstairs, I replied, “He said he needed some time alone.”
Tessa studied my face carefully, and I had a feeling she’d guessed something. “Elaine, Ethan loves you like his own child.”
“I know that,” I said quietly, feeling a pang of guilt and sadness.
By then, Ashton had stood up and walked over to me. He reached for my hand, and I saw his expression darken when he felt how cold my fingers were.
“Is there anything else you needed to talk about with Mrs. Mercer? If not, let’s head back. They need their rest. Let’s not disturb them,” Ashton said, making up an excuse to leave.
“Alright.” I nodded and turned to Tessa. “Goodbye, Tessa.”
Tessa’s gaze lingered on me, and she instinctively glanced toward the stairs, likely wondering what I had said to Ethan. But she didn’t ask us to stay. “Drive safe.”
Ashton and I left the house and got into the car. As I started the engine, he held my hand. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing major. I just brought up my parents,” I mumbled honestly.
“You asked about the car accident, didn’t you?” he guessed.
I scoffed lightly. “You influenced me. I wanted to know if there was something more to it.”
“So, what did you find out?” he asked.
I thought about Ethan’s words as I shifted gears and stepped on the accelerator. “Just an accident, apparently,” I replied.
The car moved smoothly out of the Mercer estate. “There was an investigation. It all checked out.”
Ashton didn’t say anything after that, and we drove in silence back toward the city.
The streets were alive with lights and activity. The pedestrian areas were bustling, and traffic had already slowed to a crawl.
At a red light, I broke the silence. “Have you eaten yet?”
“No,” Ashton replied honestly.
I turned to look at him. “Thanks for coming with me today. I’ll treat you to dinner.”
“Okay,” he said without hesitation.
After finding a parking spot, we got out of the car.
Pointing to the lively row of food stalls, I declared, “Tonight, you’re the king. Pick whatever you want.”
Just as I spoke, someone bumped into me. I stumbled and instinctively grabbed Ashton for support.
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< Chapter 110
When I steadied myself, I realized I was holding onto his collar.
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I looked up and froze. His face was so close to mine, our noses were practically touching. If either of us moved even slightly, our lips would meet.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
The bustling street around us provided the perfect backdrop for the scene, and soon, we attracted the attention of passersby.
“Ooh!” someone teased.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss! Don’t be shy!” a child shouted gleefully.
Hearing the cheers, my face turned bright red. I quickly let go and tried to push Ashton away, but he didn’t budge.
That’s when I realized he was holding my waist. Instead of letting me go, he pulled me even closer and leaned in to whisper, “If you’re shy, don’t move. I’ll get us out of here.”
His voice sent shivers down my spine.
I hesitated but stopped resisting. I let him guide me through the crowd.
Unfortunately, the crowd wasn’t about to let us leave so easily. Their chants grew louder.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” They were clearly enjoying the show.
I had held hands and hugged Ashton before, but a kiss? That was completely off–limits.
“Think of something! Anything!” I said in a panic, pinching his side.
“There are just too many people,” Ashton said helplessly. “It’s going to be tough to leave.”
I was so anxious I could feel sweat forming on my forehead. Just then, Ashton leaned in again, his
warm breath tickling my ear.
“How about we give them what they want? A kiss. Consider it a freebie,” he whispered.
My eyes widened in shock. I stared at him, completely forgetting about the crowd.
