Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Josh stepped forward, also refusing the gift. “This is too valuable for us to accept.”
Just days ago, they’d been talking about breaking off the engagement, and now they were being offered a family heirloom. He worried about the pressure this would put on his daughter.
“This is a gift for Ash, and since I brought it out today, I won’t take it back,” Dorothy insisted, her determination clear.
“If Ash doesn’t want it…” Jade started, but Dorothy cut her off sharply. “Now is not the time for you to speak!”
Jade’s face drained of color, and she bit her lip in frustration as she stepped back.
Just then, Ash’s grandfather, Franklin, came down the stairs. After taking in the scene, he gently took the crown from Dorothy and presented it to Ash. “This is a gift from your elders, so make sure to cherish it.”
Ash reluctantly accepted the crown, her eyes darting to Calvert, silently asking if it was okay to take it.
It felt like a hot potato!
Calvert’s face remained impassive, but he gave a slight nod.
If they were giving it to her, she had to accept it.
Once Dorothy had made up her mind, there was no changing it.
(+23)
Brooke caught the subtle exchange between Ash and Calvert and mistakenly assumed they were flirting. Her anxiety eased a bit; if the two kids had a good relationship, accepting the gift wouldn’t be a problem.
Seeing this, Dorothy’s face brightened as she took Ash’s hand. “I can’t wait for the day you two tie the knot!”
“Thank you,” Ash said with a polite smile, quickly shifting the conversation. “Did the medicine I gave you help?”
“I owe it all to you! If it weren’t for that nourishing pill, I wouldn’t have been able to make it to Brooke’s birthday party today,” Dorothy replied, her eyes shining with warmth as she looked at the beautiful, polite girl. She couldn’t help but wish her grandson would just marry Ash already.
‘But that stubborn boy…!‘ she thought. She found it hard to believe he wouldn’t change his mind after a year.
While her expression held a hint of regret, her gaze was full of affection for Ash.
The Turner family watched with satisfaction, while Calvert felt speechless.
They hadn’t even had their wedding yet, and Dorothy was already treating Ash like family. ‘What kind of magic does Ash have to charm Grandma so effortlessly?‘ he thought.
“Ash, could you check on the cake? I’m curious why it hasn’t arrived yet,” Brooke suddenly suggested, throwing a meaningful glance at her husband, Josh.
“Sure,” Ash replied without a second thought.
Josh quickly picked up on his wife’s signal. “Calvert, could you take Ash with you?”
Realizing their parents likely didn’t want her to actually fetch the cake but instead wanted to give them some privacy, Ash glanced at Calvert. He showed no signs of resistance and nodded in agreement.
In silence, they walked to the parking lot, and Ash raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you supposed to be breaking off the engagement? Why did you let your grandmother give me this?”
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Chapter 75
“I underestimated you,” Calvert replied coolly, his mind racing. Here she was, talking about breaking up while simultaneously trying to win over his grandmother.
+23)
“What do you mean?” Ash shot back, her annoyance flaring. “You think I could just charm your grandmother into giving me
this?”
“I don’t care. But you accepted our family’s gift, and a year from now, if you can’t set foot in the Snider house, who would want you?”
Calvert shot her a glance, his expression unreadable, showing no signs of sympathy.
Ash felt her anger boiling. ‘It wasn’t my fault. I haven’t asked for the gift; why should I bear the burden?‘ she thought.
But then she remembered that her family had accepted it on her behalf and she fell silent, struggling to find the right words.
Calvert misread her silence, a puzzled look crossing his face. “Do you really want to marry me that badly?”
“Not a chance!” Ash replied defiantly. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to return the crown. I won’t get involved with you at all!”
Calvert frowned, taken aback by her unwavering stance. He thought, ‘Does she really despise me that much?‘
He suddenly realized how complicated Ash was, unable to tell if her words were sincere or just an act.
This was the first time he had seen such a complicated woman.
Facing his probing gaze, Ash stood her ground, unafraid. To reassure him, she reiterated, “A year from now, as long as you can convince your grandmother, I won’t have anything to do with you!”
With that, she huffed and turned to get in the car.
Ash had thought Calvert was at least a decent guy, but instead, he kept doubting her and acted so self–important, as if she should feel lucky just to be with him. If it weren’t for her mother, she wouldn’t even consider it!
Calvert had his deep–set eyes focused intently on Ash as he took in her genuinely angry expression. ‘Have I completely misjudged things?‘ he thought.
After a brief moment of silence, he decided to follow her.
As they neared the cake shop, Ash walked ahead, clearly trying to shake off Calvert, who was trailing behind her.
Just then, Samantha stepped into her path. “I thought you were something special, but it turns out you’re just using the chairman of Shadow Ventures. You knew I was with Tristan and still did everything you could to break us apart, didn’t you? You have some nerve!”
Calvert, who had been lagging, lifted his gaze, scrutinizing Ash. ‘Is it really true that she is being someone’s sugar baby?‘ he thought.
Ash frowned slightly. “If you like that loser so much, then he’s all yours! Just don’t come barking at me!”
“What’s a two–faced person like you really up to? You act all sweet on the outside, but you’re the one who had your sugar daddy push him out of Riverstone… how low can you get?” Samantha shouted, her fury spilling over.
Fuming, Samantha had originally planned to use Tristan to impress her parents, but Shadow Ventures had completely ruined her plans. Her father had taken advantage of Tristan’s unconsciousness to send him away.
“Oh, you care so much about him? Why don’t you go with him?” Ash shot back, her gaze icy. “I never said he couldn’t leave Riverstone; I just made it impossible for him to come back.”
“I won’t fall for your tricks!” Samantha yelled. “You want him to take me away so you can swoop back in and take over my
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Chapter 75
20 Feb
parents? Not a chance!”
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The Ford family had mentioned that if Tristan was willing to move abroad with Jade, they would still accept her as their daughter–in–law. But Jade had only just returned to her biological family; there was no way she’d leave so easily.
Besides, a man who had already walked away from the Ford family business wasn’t worthy of her in her eyes.
Of course, Samantha wouldn’t say any of that in public.
Spotting a few onlookers nearby, she raised her voice even more, puffing herself up. “You got close to the chairman of Shadow Ventures through some shady dealings to keep him investing in the Ford family, didn’t you? You’d better spend much more in bed with him and coaxing him for money. That’s not bad, isn’t that?”
AD
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