Chapter 1334
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
Endless nags sprung out of her like a burst pipe. While I didnât care for most of the things she said, she
blurted out something that spiked my angerâI had three children, yet Elliot had never even been
intimate with a woman.
Her condescending words made my toes curl in annoyance. I snapped at her, âDonât you think itâs weird
for someone his age to be unmarried?â
âWhat nonsense are you spewing! Why would your Dad and I intentionally cause you harm? Weâve
already run a private investigation on Elliot, and itâs been cleared. Heâs healthy as can be, so he wonât
have any issues with taking care of you and your children!â
âThe Stovall and Moore familyâs assets are enough to ensure a comfortable life for my children and me.
Are you really doing whatâs best for me? Or are you just using me to secure a son-in-lawâs financial
investment into the companies under your and Zacharyâs name? Youâre using me as a chess piece to
expand your business territory, arenât you?â
The reality of things was often ugly. However, I had to accept my reality and face my familyâs true
nature, regardless of how rotten they were.
Cameron froze at my sudden retort. Her lips parted, but no words were able to form.
I held her gaze as disappointment twisted inside me. Turning on my heel, I shrugged her grip off my
arm. âIf you insist on using me as a business opportunity, then Iâd rather us be strangers.â
My feet stepped with an unyielding force, marching out the glass door and past Elliot in the living room.
I stormed upstairs to collect Summer, then we left without so much as a goodbye.
Anger throbbed inside me. I had finally put Summer to bed and needed to vent, so I returned to my
room and video-called Ashton.
The camera captured my darkened expression, down to my crinkled eyes that frowned. As soon as
Ashton picked up the phone, he saw my furious gaze that could burn holes through him.
His brows twitched as he flashed me an amused half-smile. âHave I perhaps done anything to upset
you today?â
âYeah, you ticked me off.â
We wouldnât have faked our divorce if we didnât need to get revenge. Then I wouldnât get tricked into a
blind date with Elliot, nor would I be thrown around as a pawn in Cameron and Zacharyâs calculative
ways.
Although these were only words of anger, it made sense that I would feel this way since an angered
woman often acted emotionally rather than sensibly.
Ashton frowned. His face scrunched into confusion. âAfter coming back from the hospital, I was in the
office the entire time and only came in contact with Joseph, the secretary who delivered my coffee. So
who could have possibly gotten my honeyâs knickers in a twist?â
Because he had a clear conscience, he spoke in a bubbly, almost joker-like manner that prompted
laughter from me. His exaggerated frown made it hard to stay upset at him.
A giggle snuck out from my tightly clamped lips. âQuit acting so silly! I was trying to tell you that I got set
up on a blind date.â
âA blind date?â Ashtonâs eyes wiggled into a doubtful gaze. Then his voice sprang with an airiness that
teased me, âWoah, it takes guts to go on a blind date with you. Who in K City could possibly be so
reckless and not value their lives?â
I let out a deep chesty scoff. âHow is dating me reckless? Am I really that bad?â
Deep laughter rumbled from Ashton. âYou seem to have forgotten what I said during the Ziegler familyâs
anniversary banquet.â
This took me by surprise as I tried to recall that nightâs events.
At that banquet, Thora almost successfully splashed her beverage all over me. It wasnât a great
experience, but at least Ashton publicly defended me and said that no matter what, we will always
share a bond since we have children between us.
The pros to his words were that they discouraged anyone from purposefully making my life difficult in
the future. At the same time, he eliminated the possibility of potential suitors around me. It deterred
those who wanted my hand in marriage, as well as those who were after my powerful influence since I
had the support of the Stovall and Moore family. This was because they would have to compete against
Ashton, and given his pristine status, any competitors would be foolishly asking for social suicide.
Seeing him so smug, my lips pinched with annoyance. âHow are you so confident that I wonât fall for
another man?â
Ashtonâs gaze narrowed on me. His eyes flickered to a menacing pitch-black. âItâs not that Iâm
confident. Rather, itâs because I know that you wonât tolerate messy relationships in your life. Weâre
alike in that aspect; fidelity is something that you regard highly, if not more than I do.â
His serious words struck me by surprise and left me dumbfounded.
He truly knew me like the back of his hand.
This was what I believed true love to be; a love where both parties were free to conquer their own
domains, but the love between them would remain strong and unchanged.