Chapter 7

Claire interrogated, "You told my friends that we were just friends; you didn't react in any way when you saw him kiss me. Heck—you even told me to take care of him… "I'm your partner, Ash. Why do you keep pushing me toward other people?" Ashton remained silent for a few seconds. Just as he was about to confront the truth with her, a sudden scream from the bedroom shattered the delicate moment. Claire's expression shifted instantly, and she rushed inside without hesitation. Curtis, curled up on the bed just moments before, now stumbled toward her in a panic before throwing himself into her arms. "That lunatic is back for me! Clairy, I'm terrified! Please don't leave me here alone, okay?" Immediately, Claire was helping Curtis back to bed, her voice gentle and soothing. "It's okay. I'm here. No one can hurt you. As long as I'm around, I'll never leave you…" Curtis leaned into her shoulder, but the look he shot Ashton was full of open provocation, completely different from his earlier drunken state. This was the answer. It had never been Ashton who pushed her toward someone else. Time and time again, she chose Curtis of her own accord. Claire stayed with Curtis the entire night, and Ashton didn't mind. Jake had wrapped up work early and would likely be flying back to see him the day after tomorrow. Just knowing that made his heart feel a little lighter. The next morning, during breakfast, Ashton noticed Claire had left her phone on the dining table. Work messages aligned neatly across her screen. After some consideration, he grabbed the phone and headed toward the master bedroom. Before he could knock, Curtis opened the door from the inside. "Mr. Gill, Clairy was taking care of me the whole night and barely caught a wink of sleep. Why don't you give her some rest?" As he spoke, he adjusted his collar to reveal the faint hickeys on his neck. Emotionlessly, Ashton stuffed the gadget into Curtis' hand. "Fine. Be sure to give this to her, then." He turned around, ready to leave, but Curtis halted him. "What's with you and your lack of self-awareness? Claire doesn't even love you, you know? I'll be frank with you—we've not only taken wedding photos but also registered our marriage. "On paper, we're legally wedded husband and wife. Now, get out of our home!" As soon as he said that, a loud thud came from inside the room. Curtis' expression suddenly changed, and he began pleading in panic. "Alright, Mr. Gill. I'll move out now! Please don't be mad anymore…" Then, he slammed his back against the door and slid weakly to the floor. Seconds later, Claire burst out of the room. Her eyes blazed with fury as she noticed his face contorted in pain. "What the hell is wrong with you, Ashton? You told me to look after him, and I thought you were being kind. I can't believe you're pulling dirty tricks behind my back!" Ashton's expression dimmed. "I didn't touch or force him to leave. Check the surveillance if you don't believe me." At that, Curtis instantly chimed in, "This isn't Mr. Gill's fault, Clairy. I just accidentally fell and bumped into the door…" Though his words were submissive, the vulnerability in his eyes made it seem more like a quiet plea for pity. A hint of unmistakable heartache flickered in Claire's eyes as she carefully pulled him into a hug. "Enough. You don't have to cover for him anymore. You may be my partner, Ashton, but if you dare to hurt Curt again, I'll make you regret it!" With that, she took Curtis' arm and left the place. Ashton took a deep breath, forcing down the anger boiling in his chest. No matter what he said, Claire would never believe him. What would be the point in trying to explain? He pulled himself together and spent the day out with a close friend, only returning home by cab as the evening approached. Standing at his front door, he had just reached into his bag for the keys when something in his peripheral vision caught his eye—a dark figure. A chill shot down his spine. He instinctively turned to run, but the next second, something hard slammed into his back. The cold edge of a blade pressed against his neck, and Ashton froze, barely daring to breathe. He forced himself to stay calm, suppressing the fear rising in his chest. "There's money in the bag. You can take all of it. Just calm down and don't hurt me…" The woman said nothing but simply pulled out his phone to make a video call.