Chapter 1385
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
âI was thinking,â I said, interrupting Ashton, âthat even if Fuller Corporation goes bankrupt, weâll still
have help from John and the Moore family. Besides, I think Iâm capable of raising three children. All Iâm
worried about is letting you down. You canât enjoy the wealth and influence of being a president any
longer. Youâll have to make do with our uneventful, quiet happiness. I suppose Iâll be your sugar
mommy⦠â
I trailed off, noticing Ashton staring at me in bewilderment.
âAre you upset?â I asked timidly.
Any man who took pride in his masculinity usually recoiled at the idea of getting a sugar mommy.
Ashton wrinkled his brow for a moment, then abruptly chuckled. âAre you saying that youâll raise me as
well?â
I hadnât expected him to respond so jovially. My tentative smile widened into a grin. âSure, whatâs your
price?â
At my joke, Ashton burst into peals of genuine laughter. In that instant, the dark shadows that had hung
over him seemed to have fled. He finally looked rejuvenated.
I saw my chance. Gently stroking his injured hand, I declared, âYouâre mine now! I donât like people who
are constantly putting themselves down. You have to stay positive, or Iâll drop you off my list. Thereâs a
long line waiting after you.â
A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes. He pinched my chin, compelling me to meet his eyes. âThen Iâll
have to be a good boy and work hard then, wonât I?â
âYou know itâ¦â I nodded playfully.
Ashton dipped his head towards me, and before I realized what he was doing, he stole a kiss from me.
âIs this what youâre looking for?â
I felt my cheeks instantly burn crimson. Gritting my teeth, I countered cheekily, âItâs a borderline pass.
Iâm sure you can do much better than that. Iâll be looking forward to it.â
Ashtonâs dark eyes seemed overwhelmed with emotion. He reached out and pulled me over, his arms
encircling me in a tight hug. We were so close that I could hear the throb of his heartbeat and feel the
rise and fall of his chest with every breath.
At that moment, the world and its worries seemed to fall away. All that remained was Ashton and me,
wrapped in our mutual embrace. The two of us sat like this for what felt like an eternity. It was barely a
few minutes later, however, when Ashton suddenly sprang up. He ran out of the room with me in tow,
saying, âIâve spent enough time feeling sorry for myself. Itâs time to deal with the obstacles getting in my
way of being a sugar baby.â
Seeing his renewed vigor, I merely smiled and allowed him to lead me down the stairs.
When we reentered the living room together, Bill and Tiffany were still seated inside.
Tiffany straightened up when she caught sight of Ashton, saying brightly, âAshton, have you changed
your mind? I knew it! I knew you wouldnât be able to walk away from our family just like that.â
Ashton said nothing, silently leading me over to the sofa. We sat down facing Tiffany, and he took his
time to settle down, crossing his legs before replying evenly, âI can rejoin the Hall family but on one
condition. My children will remain with the Stovall family.â
A look of disquiet crossed Tiffanyâs face. âYou canât do that. The babies have the blood of the Hall
family running through their veins! You canât leave them in the hands of outsiders.â
âYouâre wrong,â Emma finally spoke. There was a tremor in her voice from the state of agitation she
was evidently under. Impassionately, she continued, âThe Stovall family has always treated any
children as their own. Now that Ashton and Scarlett have reconciled, how can you call the Stovalls
outsiders? If weâre talking about bringing up children, what do you have to say about a certain family
that brutally abandoned its child for ten years, not caring whether it lived or died? What right do you
have to decide for Ashton and Scarlettâs children?â
Emma turned to look at John after speaking. There seemed to be a fleeting acknowledgment of mutual
agreement between the two. However, it was only a brief flash that quickly faded back into their original
stiffness.
Ashton paid no heed to John and Emmaâs marital rows. Carelessly, he answered Tiffany, âYouâre too
late. Iâm already part of the Stovall family, and so are my children. Scarlett is the only one who has any
say over where we go.â
Ashton paused to direct an intent look at me. âIsnât that right, Honey?â
Caught off guard, I scrambled to keep up with his theatrical performance. âThatâs right! Ashtonâs mine.
Donât you use Facebook. Ms. Hall? The entire Fuller family belongs to the Stovall family now.â