hapter 12
Since Briar came with Edgar earlier, her motorcycle was still back at the Jennings family. To get to Wade Mansion, she’d need to call a cab.
But just as she stepped outside and pulled out her phone, a black Bentley rolled up to the curb.
The driver was Brandon, one of Ashton’s bodyguards she’d seen at the Wade Mansion. The car stopped right in front of her, and the back window rolled down to reveal Ashton, laptop open on his lap.
“What a coincidence, Miss Jennings,” he said, gl
glancing up from his screen. “Where are you off to? Want a ride?”
Briar’s lips twitched. She was sure he already know
exactly where she was going.
She gave him a dry smile. “What a coincidence.”
She had just told him she’d be coming to treat Griffin, so obviously she wasn’t going anywhere else.
This whole act of his–pretending to run into her–felt old–school.
Still, Ashton was good–looking. Briar had a soft spot for pretty faces, so even though his move was kind of cheesy, she gave him a warm smile and answered honestly, “I was just about to grab a cab to your place.”
“Perfect. I’m headed home too. Want to ride together?” he offered with a grin.
Briar nodded. “Why not?”
Anyway, a free ride in a Bentley was way better than a cramped cab.
Brandon hopped out of the driver’s seat and opened the door for her. “Please, Miss Jennings.”
“Thanks,” Briar said, sliding in like she belonged there. As she sat down, she happened to catch a glimpse of Ashton’s laptop screen–investment documents tied to Shoneport University.
She reacted immediately–he wasn’t bluffing when he said he had money tied up in the school.
Ashton didn’t try to hide anything. He wrapped up whatever he was working on, then shut the laptop and reached for his briefcase.
“This just came in–your acceptance letter from Shoneport University,” he said, handing her an elegant envelope and a thick welcome packet.
“Thanks,” Briar said, taking it and opening it right away. She’d grown up overseas, so this was her first time seeing a university acceptance letter from
Dasmieca.
The packet was surprisingly fancy. The first thing inside was a stunning photo of Shoneport University’s main gate, followed by 3D layouts of all the department buildings. Since her major was traditional medicine, those buildings were highlighted–they looked clean, professional, even kind of pretty.
Briar flipped through everything carefully before tucking it all into her backpack.
Ashton didn’t say much during the ride. He only asked a few quick questions about Griffin’s condition.
Briar noticed him glancing at her from time to time, but his looks weren’t weird or uncomfortable–more curious than anything–so she just ignored
them.
They pulled into the Wade Mansion before 11 AM. Like last time, a group of people had gathered in the yard. But this time, it wasn’t Griffin’s oldest son’s family. It was the second son’s group waiting out front.
It seemed that the family had worked out a rotation, taking turns watching over Griffin until he got better.
Briar followed Ashton into the yard, and right away, a dozen pairs of eyes locked onto her. No one was even looking at Ashton anymore. And one girl in
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13:35 Mon 28 Jul 6 De
Chapter 12
the crowd, Emily Wade, her stare held the weight of suspicion, as if she believed Briar brought trouble in with the wind.
Briar wasn’t dressed up, just in casual clothes, but she’d worn a little makeup earlier for her Jennings Group meeting. It brought out her features, making her even more striking than she’d been here before.
From the very first glance, Emily felt a surge of quiet hostility toward Briar, driven by a woman’s innate sense of jealousy.
On top of that, Briar’s sudden appearance had ruined her parents‘ plan to hire Wyatt for Griffin’s treatment.
“Ashton, is she the miracle doctor who did acupuncture on Grandpa?” Emily asked, forcing a smile. “She’s so young. Can we really trust her? I mean, I’m about to become Wyatt’s student. Why don’t I treat Grandpa instead?”
She walked up, her eyes shifting from jealousy to disdain as she looked at Briar. She reached for Ashton’s arm like it was natural, but he moved away without a word, his face expressionless.
Griffin had four sons. The third son, Wilder, was married to Eileen, and they only had one kid, Jalen. The eldest and second sons each had two children. Ashton was the fourth–oldest grandkid.
Emily awkwardly pulled her hand back, clearly embarrassed. But she didn’t dare argue with Ashton, so she turned her glare on Briar instead.
But Briar didn’t even blink. She just stood there coolly, waiting for Ashton to lead her inside. She had zero interest in playing petty games.
Ashton glanced at Emily, his voice flat, his eyes cold. “You? You’ve barely scratched the surface of medicine in the past two years. I appreciate that you want to help Grandpa, but I’m not about to let you treat him. Just stand back and observe.”
His words hit like a slap. Emily’s face stiffened. “Ashton, I am still a Wade. I started learning medicine because of Grandpa.”
“Then wait until you officially become Wyatt’s student before offering to treat anyone,” Ashton cut her off, not bothering to sugarcoat it. He stepped past her and led Briar inside.
Emily clenched her jaw and stared daggers at Briar’s back.
She refused to believe Briar could pull off some miracle with a few needles. She figured that even if Briar managed to wake her grandpa up, it wouldn’t change anything. Wyatt had said her grandpa’s condition was complex and would need serious treatment.
Meanwhile, Briar followed Ashton into the house and into Griffin’s room.
Griffin was already sitting up in bed. When he saw Ashton walk in with a young woman, he knew right away this had to be the one who had treated him last time. He was still weak, but he managed a faint smile when he saw Briar.
“Hello, Mr. Griffin Wade.” Briar smiled, her tone respectful. She’d grown up around Zeke, and he’d taught her to be polite to elders. Seeing Griffin smile at her, she smiled back–genuine this time.
