That single statement silenced Herman entirely. At the same time, it had come at the cost of Ashton’s bargaining power.
Fuller Corporation’s withdrawal from the collaboration with Trivett Corporation meant that Ashton would be unable to interfere no matter what evil ends Pitcoin would be used for.
It seemed as if the discovery that his parents were alive had utterly transformed Ashton. The upright, dignified man that George painstakingly raised had vanished.
Ashton’s words thus dropped like a bomb in the living room, scattering the uneasiness that had hung so heavily in the air before.
Thora, who had been observing the scene unfold from the sidelines, chose this moment to speak. “You’re going to withdraw from all collaborations? Ashton, do you really intend to sever all ties with me?” she seethed.
The Ziegler family was no longer Ashton’s target. In fact, from certain perspectives, Ashton had indeed wronged Thora in some aspects.
A flowering career was all well and good for a woman, but her relationships and emotions would always remain her core occupation.
Thora waited in agony for Ashton’s reply. Ashton, however, was in no frame of mind to deal with anything other than the recent tragedy. He merely gazed at her blankly with disinterest, looking absent altogether as if his soul had flown off to another dimension entirely. Wherever it was, it was neither present nor ready to engage with Thora’s demands.
It wasn’t that Ashton wanted to evade her questioning. He didn’t quite possess the capacity to at the moment.
Every second that ticked by threw Thora into a greater frenzy. The expression on her face was growing increasingly desperate. Unable to endure this long-drawn awkwardness, I hastily chipped in, “Ms. Ziegler, allow me to apologize to you on behalf of Ashton. He only hid our marriage from you due to the circumstances. If there’s anything you’re dissatisfied with, we’ll do whatever we can to make amends.”
Thora was an intelligent woman. I truly believed she would know that negotiating a compromise would enable her to achieve the best possible outcome from this catastrophe despite the hurt she’d suffered.
Besides, Ashton and Thora were both victims of the previous generation’s wrongs. There was no real benefit in furthering this resentment.
Thora, however, did not act like the reasonable woman I expected her to be. “I was played for a fool by the two of you. Do you think I’d let you off the hook that easily?” she asked bitterly.
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