Chapter 706
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
Ashton brought me back into the car and rolled the windows back up. I had no energy left to move or
talk, so I just leaned against the car and slowly drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up to the sound of water running in the bathroom, I found myself lying on a hotel room
bed.
I knew I was brought to the hotel by Ashton, so waking up on a foreign bed didnât worry me as much.
Even after the rest I had, my head was still spinning, and my body felt limp. No matter how hard I tried,
I just couldnât get myself out of bed.
So thatâs how it is after I drink. I may be sober, but my body just refuses to cooperate with me.
The bathroom door opened, and Ashton stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist. âAre you
awake?â he asked as he glanced at me.
I nodded and instinctively pulled at the covers. It was only then that I realized I had been stripped
naked.
My eyes widened in horror as I glared at Ashton. âAshton, youâre despicable! You knew I was drunk,
and yet, you⦠â
He turned toward me with a raised eyebrow. âAnd yet I what?â
I couldnât make heads or tails of his reaction, so I mumbled, âDid you do that to me?â
He casually yanked his towel off to dry his hair before asking, âDo that?â
He knows what I mean, yet he still acts all innocent about it.
Since he seemed reluctant to give me a direct answer, I changed the subject. âWhere are my clothes?â
He stopped drying his hair to look at me, still with the same indifference he had before. âYou should be
asking me where my clothes are,â he replied coolly.
âFine. Where are your clothes then?â My anxiety increased when I realized the room stank of booze,
and both his and my clothes were missing. What have I done? Wait⦠What have we done?
He threw his towel aside and leaned closer to me. âMy custom-made suit cost one hundred and eighty
thousand. Include my emotional damages, and that would be two hundred thousand in total. How do
you plan to settle that?â
His words left me speechless. When did I owe him two hundred thousand?
âYou puked all over me, donât you remember? The hotel has security cameras. Do you need to see
some footage as proof?â
As I took in that familiar scent of his, my instinct was to avoid him altogether. But he had me backed
into a corner, and there was nowhere I could hide.
âI threw up again?â I asked apologetically. I had no memory of what happened after I had fallen asleep
in the car.
He said nothing as he looked at me, a hint of arrogance in his eyes.
Perhaps I had been so blackout drunk that I couldnât remember throwing up on Ashton. And seeing as
how both our clothes werenât in the room, I was starting to believe him.
After some hesitation, I began to worry about the monetary amount he mentioned earlier. âDo you really
need that much for emotional damages?â
I knew that all his clothes were custom-made by famous, big brands, which justified their insane price
tags. But twenty thousand for emotional damages was just too far-fetched for me.
âEvery meeting I conduct is valued in the tens of millions. Asking for twenty thousand isnât too much of
a stretch, is it?â he replied calmly.
âBut, I didnât know you had a meeting to attend. I didnât even know you were coming. And besides, I
wasnât the one who called youâ¦â I protested, my voice trailing off weakly.
With a monthly salary of a mere few thousand, where was I going to find two hundred thousand to pay
him back?
âDoes that mean I should delete your number from my phone? And that I should never answer your
calls again?â
âYou didnât have to pick up the call,â I mumbled in frustration, as the image of him hugging Rachel
earlier that day once again filled my mind. Hit with a pang of jealousy, I added, âI guess I really am to
blame. I have probably ruined your date with a gorgeous woman.â
âScarlett, what nonsense do you have in your head?â
I stared at him with furrowed brows, anger slowly simmering away. Perhaps all that alcohol had
lowered my inhibitions because I decided to speak my mind. âYes, thereâs nonsense in my head, unlike
Rachel. She has the looks and the brains. Sheâs good at everything while Iâm not. Sheâs the only good
match for you, so why donât you go back to her. I didnât want you here anyway.â
I lowered my head as I tried to hold my tears back. Everyone was always blaming me for not knowing
my place and for pushing Ashton away.
But little did they know that I was the one who had to endure the most hurt. I was the one who had lost
the baby. And I was the one who had to put up with all the resentment and grievances.
When I didnât hear a response from Ashton, I looked up and saw him looking straight at me.
I was taken aback by how intense his stare was and tried to avert my eyes. However, he cupped my
chin and turned me around to meet his gaze. âAre you bringing up Rachel to agitate me? You keep
trying to push me toward her even though I donât feel for her that way. I went along with it to keep you
happy, but now youâre blaming me? If you canât overcome the hurdles in your heart, Iâm willing to wait
and give you all the time you need. Even if it takes the rest of my life, Iâll continue to wait.â