“Let me take you back to rest.” He took my
wrist. “Shall we?”
I nodded dumbly, letting him lead me down the
hallway. But after a few steps, I felt a sudden
chill. One of the petal–shaped pasties had
fallen out from under the jacket.
く
Ethan looked down at it, then calmly bent and
picked it up. He folded it neatly and put it in his
pocket. “It’s soiled. I’ll have someone bring you
some fresh clothes.”
My face burned. I mumbled, “Okay.”
“Let’s go,” he said, taking my hand again.
- 10.
We reached a private lounge. He ushered me
inside and then excused himself. I sat there for
a long time, trying to process everything. It was
then I realized he’d called me Miss Miller at
first, but later, he’d used my first name. He
knew who I was.
The assistant brought me a change of clothes. I
showered, dressed, and carefully folded Ethan’s
jacket, intending to have it dry–cleaned.
“Mr. Blackwood instructed me to escort you
<
home, Miss Miller.”
“Please tell Mr. Blackwood I’ll take care of his
jacket.”
“No need, Miss Miller. I’ll handle it.”
I handed her the bag and casually asked, “How
did Mr. Blackwood know my name?”
She smiled. “That’s Mr. Blackwood’s private
business.”
As I left the yacht, I received a text from an
unknown number. “Ashley, it’s Ethan
Blackwood. Save my number.”
I stared at the message, a small smile playing
on my lips. I replied, “Okay, saved.”
“I’ll be there the day after tomorrow. Get some
rest.”
<
“Okay.”
- 11.
He didn’t text again. I got home late. The house was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was tense.
“Ashley, have you figured out what to do?” my mother demanded. “How could you mess things up with Mark? Don’t you know we depend on the Howards?”
“Yeah, Ashley,” my sister–in–law chimed in,
“Where are we going to get half a million
dollars? I’m about to have my third child! You’re ruining us!”
They all blamed me for not holding onto Mark, for not securing their continued lifestyle. Had
they ever asked me if I wanted this? Had they shared any of the Howard money with me?
Now, they wanted me to shoulder the burden
alone. Fine. I would. But after this, I was done
with them.
10:58
- 12.
“Ashley, say something!” My sister–in–law
nudged me.
“I’ve found a solution for the money,” I
announced.
My mother’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“But it might damage our family’s reputation.”
“What do you mean?”
I gave a small smile. “At the gala, I met a wealthy businessman from the Philippines. He offered to pay the five hundred thousand. But he’s married, so… I’d have to be his mistress.”
