Chapter 21
Feb
Chapter 21
Kiss
༨,90%
“Mom, just tell them no for me. I’ll explain everything when I get back,” Ash said into the phone, trying to calm her mother down. She couldn’t afford to waste any more time and hurried out to find Calvert, planning to go home together to clear up this misunderstanding.
On the other end of the line, Josh’s face was as cold as ice. “What does Ash think she’s doing?” He had already heard about what happened at the Snider family yesterday. His pristine daughter had been locked up with a man and even changed clothes upon release.
Brooke also looked grave. “From what Ash said, it seems like she’s not too keen on it. Let’s wait until she gets back to discuss it,” she suggested.
“Regardless, we can’t let the Turner family walk all over Ash,” Josh stated firmly, his icy demeanor unwavering.
“Calvert has grown up in front of our eyes; he doesn’t seem like the type to take advantage of a situation,” Brooke commented fairly, her tone suddenly serious. “If anyone dares to bully Ash, I’ll be the first to disagree.”
As they were talking, Lachlan walked in. “We’ve confirmed who adopted Ash. It’s the Moreno family; here are their details.
Josh picked up the file and saw that the Moreno family information was comprehensive, but the part about Ash was very brief, only mentioning the school she attended; her friends these past years, and how she lived–all that was vague and lacked concrete details.
This was clearly not a proper background check.
Seeing the puzzled look on his father’s face, Lachlan explained, “The information on Ash only goes back ten years. Her experiences during these ten years have been hidden.”
He added, “I even used the company’s intelligence system, and I couldn’t find out who hid it, but it seems to be related to people from Macnon.”
“What’s going on?” Brooke became anxious. “Ash went missing because of people from Macnon, and now she’s somehow involved with them again?”
Brooke’s emotions surged, and her face turned pale instantly. She clutched her chest, coughing as her breath became unstable.
“Don’t worry; maybe they don’t mean any harm this time. After all these years, she’s been fine, which is the best proof,” Josh reassured his wife, quickly pouring two pills from the medicine bottle on the table and handing them to her.
Only after Brooke’s condition stabilized did he notice the medicine bottle was still full.
“Brooke, have you not taken your medicine these past few days?” Josh asked with a hint of joy.
He had always managed his wife’s heart medication himself, knowing it usually lasted about ten days per bottle. But now, five days in, it was still full. Even when she had her episode earlier, her breathing was only slightly unstable, not the severe difficulty she had experienced before.
Brooke realized the issue too. She recalled, “Five days ago, when I had an attack, Ash performed acupuncture on me. Since then, I haven’t had any episodes, and my breathing seems much smoother.”
“I didn’t realize Ash was such a skilled healer,” Josh said with relief.
He knew well about Brooke’s condition; he had consulted every cardiology expert in Riverstone, yet none could free her
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Chapter 21
from medication dependence. And Ash, with just one session of acupuncture, had provided such lasting relief.
Brooke felt deeply moved. “After all these years on her own, without support from the Moreno family and not even studying medicine, she must have suffered a lot.”
Lachlan listened quietly, surprised by his newly found sister’s abilities.
At that
moment, a servant announced, “Mr. Snider and Ms. Turner have returned.”
brooke looked up to see Calvert and Ash entering together.
ert was dressed in a suit, his handsome features sharply defined, tall, and imposing, exuding an extraordinary presence.
eside him. Ash wore simple casual clothes, but her flawless skin and striking appearance made her natural grace impossible to overlook.
From a distance, they looked like the perfect match.
“In all of Riverstone, only Calvert is good enough for my daughter,” Brooke said with satisfaction on her face.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Turner,” Calvert greeted generously, handing the gift from his grandmother to a servant nearby.
“Oh, hello there,” Brooke replied, her smile growing wider by the second. ‘He’s quite something.
However, Josh stood beside her with a cold expression as if he hadn’t heard anything. “I heard about yesterday between you and Ash…” He gave Calvert a warning look. “How do you explain that?”
Calvert’s eyes darkened, but he looked at Ash. ‘Is she trying to force a marriage because of yesterday?”
Ash raised her head and immediately noticed the mockery in Calvert’s gaze. She glared at him and stepped forward. “Mom, Dad, everything that happened yesterday was a misunderstanding. Nothing happened between Calvert and me; it was Mrs. Snider who misunderstood and thought of advancing the wedding date.”
Hearing Ash’s explanation, Josh’s expression finally softened.
Brooke wore an “I–told–you–so” expression, confident in the choice of her precious daughter’s fiancé.
After setting aside the incident where they were drugged, Ash recounted the events of the previous day in detail, finally clearing things up with her parents.
With both parties present, Josh decided to ask directly, “So, what are your plans for the wedding now?”
He was well aware of the Snider family’s eagerness to push through the marriage, but he believed the opinions of the two individuals involved were paramount. If Ash and Calvert had no objections, he thought it was time to start preparing for Ash’s wedding.
Just as Ash was about to refuse, she suddenly received a text message.
Glancing down, it was from Lachlan: [Mom’s heart condition isn’t good. Please try to go along with her wishes as much as possible. Thanks.]
Ash turned to look at her usually silent elder brother, who was also looking at her.
Thinking back to the acupuncture session she performed on their mother, Ash found herself unable to voice her refusal of the engagement.
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“Ash, finding you has made me so happy. Now, all I want is to see you settled and find your own happiness,” Brooke said, her face filled with contentment, yet still seeking Ash’s approval. “If you think Calvert is good too, then we can agree to the Snider family’s proposal on your behalf, alright?”
After a roment of thought, Ash walked over to Brooke, hugging her arm with a hint of playfulness in her tone. “I’ve just come back, and I haven’t spent enough time with you yet. I want to stay by your side; there’s no rush for marriage.”
“You naughty girl,” Brooke said, her eyes brimming with affection. “Even after you get married, our home will always be open to you. You can come back anytime you want.”
he turned to Calvert. “What do you think, Calvert?”
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