In Love, Never Say Never (Ashton Fuller and Scarlett Stovall) novel Chapter 870

Ashton and Abe had clearly planned for their meeting in advance. I didn’t know the contents of their discussion, but by entrusting me to Holden, Ashton must have been confident that Holden would ultimately fail Abe.

Ashton gave me a sideways glance. “Are you afraid?”

I shook my head, then nodded, conflicted. Upon seeing my confused expression, Ashton broke out into a delighted laugh, shattering the tension that had hung delicately over the car.

“Are you afraid or not?” he repeated, teasing.

I thought for a while before answering him solemnly, “A little of both, I guess. I’m afraid because I don’t know anything. If anything happens to you, I don’t know what to do. I’m not that afraid yet because I know that you always have a firm grasp of the situation. Besides, you’re responsible. You will never put me in danger.”

Ashton drove on, looking straight ahead. His gaze was unfathomable. “What if I tell you that everything’s out of my hands now?”

I stiffened, but Ashton continued while glancing at me, “Scarlett, no matter what happens, you must ensure your own safety first. Forget about me. No matter the situation… just look out for yourself.”

Ashton’s sudden announcement startled me. What exactly does he mean by that? I wondered, disconcerted as I watched him intently. “Ashton, is there something that you’re not telling me?”

Yet the man merely drove the rest of the way to the hotel in silence.

I had intended to continue questioning Ashton, but weary from the entire day’s proceedings, I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

When I next opened my eyes, it was already morning. Ashton was already up and on the phone out on the balcony.

When he noticed that I was awake, Ashton hung up the phone, then called out to me, “We’re heading over to the Taylor residence in a while. We’ll leave once you’re done washing up.”

I nodded. After all, I had been expecting this ever since we’d arrived at Moranta.

On our way to the Taylor residence, Ashton filled me in on them. The Taylors were a distinguished family dating back generations. They’d made a fortune producing arms during the war, and Ashton’s grandfather had remained in the country, enjoying relative peace. On the other hand, Archie, Holden’s father, had instead been conscripted. Both George and Archie met through a group of mutual wartime comrades, one that also included Channing. Having stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the face of death, the bond between this group of men remained unbroken even with the passage of time.

After the war, Archie had returned to Moranta to inherit his family business. The other Taylors had passed away due to illness or accident, leaving Archie the sole survivor.