Chapter 1426
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
It was raining that day; the childâs memory was limited to what he was able to see clearly. Furthermore,
the architecture for all the villas on my street was very similar.
Ashton gazed at me from afar and then turned to his son. âGregory,â he called, with a hint of warning in
his voice.
Gregory frowned when he heard. He reluctantly loosened his grip on me and walked back to his father
with a pout.
When he reached Ashtonâs side, he grabbed one of his fingers coyly.
Children were emphatic; he had probably noticed his fatherâs anger and was keen to make amends.
Their relationship seems a little too stiff, I thought. He was perhaps a little strict for such a young child.
At that age, they were developing actively. Their nature, reason, and emotional quotient had to be
nurtured most carefully.
I wasnât close to Ashton as we were merely casual acquaintances. It was not up to me to criticize him
about the upbringing of his kid.
Ashton stood where he was for a little while. He then turned and led his child into the villa opposite
ours.
When they had entered, the man who had opened the door for them walked up to me. âSo, we are
officially neighbors now. My name is Joseph. If thereâs anything you may need, please feel free to ask.â
He handed me his card while he introduced himself. I glanced at it before introducing myself in return.
âYou can call me Carlette.â
âDid you enquire on behalf of Ashton the other day? Is he your boss?â I asked after a brief pause.
âYes, he is,â Joseph replied. âMr. Fuller would like a change of scenery for his child. He chose this
neighborhood and sent me over to help him settle in. I must thank you again for that day.â
âJoseph.â Ashtonâs voice rang out from behind.
We turned and found Ashton at the door with a sullen expression on his face.
Joseph hastily excused himself and ran to Ashton.
I felt confused as I stared at the shut door of the Fullersâ new residence.
This neighborhood is mere of an upper middle class. With Ashtonâs wealth and status, shouldnât he be
living somewhere much more expensive?
Why did he choose to stay here, of all places? Ashton had many puzzling things about him that could
not be deciphered if one were to approach the problem rationally.
With a headful of doubt, I waited for the doors opposite to shut again before turning around to return to
my villa.
Marcus came home at dinnertime. At the recollection of the events of the afternoon, I perked up at the
chance of a conversational starter. âYouâd never have guessed who just moved into the house across
ours,â I began casually.
âWho?â Marcus asked nonchalantly. It was obvious that he wasnât interested.
âThey areâ¦â
Ding dong!
The words almost out of my mouth when I was rudely interrupted by the doorbell.
Marcus did not like to be disturbed during his meals. The servants had returned to their rooms after
serving us, and there was no one left to wait on us in the living room. The door was nearer to me so I
voluntarily got up. âIâll get it.â
Marcus had already put down his fork exasperatedly but at my initiative, he resumed his meal.
Due to recent troubles in his life, he had not been attentive towards me.
A chubby little face appeared as soon as I opened the door. âMs. Stovall!â
Gregory held the door open. His beady little eyes were fixed on me with a gleeful look on his face.
âHello, Greg! What can I help you with?â I smiled down at him.
âWe have no electricity and water in our house. Itâs dark all over and no fun at all.â
âIs that soâ¦â I frowned and touched the boyâs head sorrowfully.
Before Ashton moved in, that villa had been uninhabited for a long time. The problems with the utilities
were to be expected at the sudden occupation.
Ashton suddenly leaned over and appeared before me through the half-opened door. âGregory is very
picky with his food.â
âHmm?â I was stunned for a moment, unclear of his intent.
Gregory tugged on my sleeve. âMs. Stovall,â he said with a grimace. âIâm very hungry. Look, my
stomach is all deflated.â
âWe canât cook, and he doesnât like takeout,â Ashton chimed in.
He remained expressionless as he spoke; it was cold and distant.
I understood perfectly at this point; they had invited themselves over for a meal.