I nodded and smiled bleakly. After another thirty minutes of conversation, the voice on the other end of the line got softer and softer. She was probably getting sleepier by the minute.
A while later, I heard Ashton’s deep, low voice over the phone. “She has fallen asleep. I’ll send her back to her room first—wait for me to come back!”
I nodded. “Alright.”
I couldn’t help but yawn too—it had been a very long day. Five minutes later, I heard Ashton’s voice again. “Are you very tired today?”
I nodded and replied miserably, “Just a little!” I had been working from morning till night, and my entire body was wracked with fatigue.
“Have you washed up yet?”
I shut my eyes and nodded my head hastily. “Of course, I have.”
An odd thought floated into my head that very moment, and I found myself thinking about Armond and Nora. Rather hesitatingly, I ventured, “Ashton, what happens when you men can’t…you know…”
I heard him suck in a deep breath on the other end of the line. After a short pause, he asked, “Can’t what?”
Hearing his suggestive tone, I knew he was thinking all sorts of rubbish again. I opened my mouth and said, “It’s like this. Armond and Nora are in a relationship now, aren’t they? But Armond seems to have some sort of trauma regarding intimacy. I think it stems from something that happened to him in the past. What do you think he should do?”
After all, who could understand a man better than another man?
Ashton laughed lightly. “That’s their own business, I suppose. Why are you poking your nose into it? Stop thinking so much and go to sleep!”
I pouted and replied in a dissatisfied voice, “Gosh, you’re no fun!”
Ashton laughed again. “I’ll be coming over to A City tomorrow. What do you want to eat?”
Almost immediately, I replied, “Korean barbeque and Japanese cuisine! I’m absolutely craving them right now,”
I only had Nora to thank for that—she kept talking about them last night, and now I wanted to eat them too.
Ashton chuckled softly and said, “Alright then, sleep earlier. Make sure to shut the door and windows properly—double-check the locks, do you hear me?”
Getting tired of his nagging, I said consolingly, “Alright, alright, I got it! You should get some sleep too. See you tomorrow!”
After hanging up the call, I flipped myself out of bed and went to lock the door, after which I headed into the bathroom to wash up. Perhaps it was because work had tired me out too much, but I fell asleep almost as soon as my head touched the pillow.
I woke up early the next morning. September in A City meant lots and lots of sunlight—the dews on green leaves on the trees glistened in the morning sun like precious gems on a string of pearls.
I had slept very well indeed, so I felt very relaxed when I woke up.
We finalized matters regarding the details on the second floor of the base that morning. Since there was nothing going on that afternoon, everyone returned to the hotel for a short debrief.
The collaboration between the Fuller and Murphy Corporations was coming to an end in the next few days, and we would be turning our attentions to other projects. The completion of the base construction marked the end of the project.
As we left the hotel, Rachel let me on the details about the next project. Although both of us were like fire and ice in some aspects, she was flawless when it came to her job, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her.
Suddenly, she stopped speaking, and a smile broke out on her face. It wasn’t a polite smile—rather, she looked as though she had just seen something she liked. It was a genuine smile, and one that came straight from the heart.
I felt a little surprised. Following her gaze, I saw a man emerge from a black Bentley at the door of the hotel. He was in pressed western suit, and every inch of him screamed nobility and finesse.
I got it at once!
As the man walked towards me, I couldn’t help but laugh. I ran over to him at once and jumped into his arms. “Didn’t you say you were only going to arrive tonight? When did you get here?”
He nudged my nose with his knuckle and said, smiling, “Are you really going to have both Korean barbeque and Japanese food for dinner? We might as well split it into two meals.”
I shook my head. “Of course not.”
A coquettish voice sounded from within the Bentley. “Ash, can you help carry this for me?”
I turned to look curiously at the car and saw a familiar face. It was Rebecca. Judging by the trench coat that was wrapped tightly around her, she had probably just gotten off the plane. Because it was too hot under the sun, she removed her trench coat the moment she stepped out of the car, revealing her alluring figure.
Ashton shot a glance at her. He turned back to me and said, “Wait for me. We’ll be going to the Korean barbeque place in a minute!”
I pursed my lips and tried to hide the growing annoyance in me. “Alright, then.”
Although I had no idea what Rebecca was doing here, I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows at the two suitcases she was holding. Is she moving house, by any chance?
Ashton called the bellboys over, and they helped Rebecca move her suitcases into the hotel. Afterward, he helped her book a room, and after passing her the card and giving her a few instructions, he left her to her own devices.
Presently, Ashton returned to my side. Taking me by the hand, he asked, “What do you want to eat first?”
“Why did you have to bring her here, too?” I asked, my eyes furrowing in displeasure.
Ashton smiled gently. “Joe was the one who brought her along. He had something on, so he told me to bring her over first.”
I nodded, feeling my appetite vanish suddenly. “Since you just got off a long-haul flight, you must be pretty tired now. Why don’t we rest in our room for a while before having a meal later?”
He raised his brows. “Alright, then. We can eat in the afternoon. Where’s the room card?”
We were still standing at the entrance of the hotel. If I refused to give it to him, he would probably kick up a huge, embarrassing fuss. I had no choice but to hand it over to him. Gritting my teeth slightly, I said, “Go and have some rest first. I’ll come back and wake you up once I’m done with my work!”
