Even after dropping Briar off at home, Brandon was still scratching his head. “Why does Miss Jennings seem a little off tonight? he matt to himself.
Briar wasn’t exactly the talkative type, but she was never this serious. She hadn’t cracked a smile or said a single word the whole way back
Earlier, she didn’t say a word, just walked with her head down.
Brandon wondered, ‘Was she in a hurry or something?
‘It usually takes her two minutes to get home, but tonight she made it in fifty seconds. She practically sprinted the whole way!
But the most suspicious thing to Brandon was that she had a milk mustache on her lips.
‘Did she forget to wipe it off? Or was she just in too much of a hurry?‘ Brandon wondered to himself.
Brandon made his way back to Ashton’s bedroom door, pulled out his phone, and started chatting away with Xavion, eager to spill the funny
news.
Xavion let out a sigh when he heard it, then reminded Brandon, “Don’t overthink what goes on in Mr. Wade’s room.
“If he finds out you’re poking your nose in, you’re the one who’s gonna get it.”
Brandon was the definition of a straight–shooter. He was so straightforward that it was almost a medical condition.
However, he was quite obedient. Even though he was stunned, he nodded right away. “Alright, got it.”
He didn’t get how talking about Briar could suddenly be considered gossiping about Ashton.
Brandon wondered, ‘Isn’t Miss Jennings just the doctor who’s supposed to put Mr. Wade to sleep?
“How did that get mixed up with Mr. Wade’s private life?‘
Xavion glanced at the time. “Alright, it’s getting late on your end. The boss is already asleep, so you should hit the sack too.”
Brandon sounded reluctant. “Come on, can’t we talk a little longer? It’s been forever since we last hung out.”
Xavion rolled his eyes dramatically. “Didn’t I sneak back to Shoneport in the middle of the night just half a month ago?
“Didn’t we hang out then?”
Brandon went quiet, then reluctantly mumbled a pitiful goodnight before hanging up.
Just like Briar said, she holed up in her room all day Sunday.
She didn’t even come downstairs for breakfast. Ashton knocked on her door, but no matter what, he couldn’t get her to come out.
Brandon couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, boss, this isn’t like Miss Jennings at all. Is she sick or something?”
Ashton’s eyes flickered with a hint of surprise. “I don’t think so. I just talked to her on the phone, and she sounded pretty lively to me.”
Even when he came to get her, Briar still didn’t show her face. They just talked over the phone.
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Chapter 115
It was no wonder Brandon found it weird. Briar seemed like she was avoiding him, or maybe even all of them,
Brandon scratched his head. “So, she really just doesn’t want breakfast?”
Ashton nodded. “Maybe. Let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”
Brandon quickly rushed to open the car door for Ashton. “But, boss, you haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“I’ll skip it,” Ashton said as he slid into the car.
From the gap in the curtains, Briar watched Ashton’s car pull away.
She pursed her lips, silently berating herself, ‘Seriously, am I really losing my cool just because a guy flirted with me? Get a grip!
With a sigh, she tied her hair up, changed into her lab coat, and opened the door to the basement.
The basement was originally meant for parking, but Briar had secretly turned it into her own laboratory.
The Frostworm she’d captured that night was being processed inside one of the machines on her workbench.
Several other machines were working nearby, and in the cabinets against the wall, there were plenty of finished pills in all shapes and sizes.
If Ashton were there, he’d realize that the two rare pills he’d spent a fortune on were nothing compared to the endless supply stored in this place.
Once she switched into work mode, Briar’s face grew focused and serious.
She pulled on a pair of medical gloves, opened up the machine, and carefully took out a vial. After inspecting the separated compounds, she
slid them into another device.
Whenever Briar went into her lab, she’d always silence her phone so no one could bother her.
By the time she finally peeled off her gloves and left the lab, it was already seven in the evening.
It was already dark outside, and her stomach let out a loud protest. Only then did Briar realize she hadn’t eaten a single thing all day.
She happened to glance at the security monitor and suddenly froze.
On the screen, Ashton was anxiously standing at her front gate, while Brandon was right beside him, banging on the door and calling out her
name.
Briar was at a loss for words.
She pressed a hand to her forehead, picked up the intercom, and said, “Mr. Wade.”
Her voice sounded a little hoarse since she hadn’t eaten anything all day.
Her sudden voice startled the two anxious men at the gate.
Ashton stepped right up to the camera and asked, “Briar, why does your voice sound so hoarse? Are you not feeling well?”
Briar’s face appeared on the screen. “No, I’m not. I just forgot to drink water.”
Ashton, sharp as ever, immediately frowned. “Forgot to drink water? Don’t tell me you haven’t eaten anything all day?”
Briar’s silence said it all. Ashton took a deep breath. “Go change. I’m taking you out for dinner.”
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10:50 Ffl, 15 Aug
Chapter 115
On the screen, Briar was wearing something that totally wasn’t her usual style.
Briar was honestly starving, so she nodded right away. “Okay, I’ll be them in a sec.
Twenty minutes later, Briar came running out to Ashton and Brandon, dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans with her hair pulled us in align ponytail.
Ashton couldn’t help but think, ‘Maybe I am imagining it, but after a whole day without eating, her cheeks really do seem a bit thinner
Brandon had already brought the car around, and the moment Briar hopped in, he drove straight toward the entrance of the neighborhood.
Ashton and Briar sat side by side in the back seat.
He reached into the drawer, pulled out a box of white chocolate, unwrapped it, and held a piece up to Briar’s mouth. “Here, have this to settle
your stomach.”
Briar took a bite of the chocolate straight from his hand, and the rich, creamy flavor instantly filled her mouth, easing the burning emptiness in her stomach. “Thanks, Mr. Wade.”
Ashton replied lightly, “You’re welcome.”
But Ashton didn’t stop there. He bent down, grabbed several packs of small buns from the drawer, tore one open, and waited for Briar to
finish the chocolate.
He was ready to feed her the next bite.
Briar said, “Mr. Wade, just give it to me. I’ll eat it myself.”
Even though Ashton looked completely serious, Briar couldn’t help but feel like he was a strict dad fussing over his little girl.
Her cheeks flushed red all of a sudden.
Ashton didn’t answer right away. He just watched Briar, as if making sure she actually had the strength to hold it herself.
In the end, he only handed her the small, opened bag. “Eat this first. I’ll give you more when you’re done.”
He even unscrewed a bottle of water for her and handed it over. “Here, have some water.”
It really wasn’t just her imagination. Ashton was actually feeding her like she was his helpless little daughter who couldn’t do anything on her
own.
Briar tried to suppress the sudden wave of embarrassment her own imagination conjured up, leaned in to take a few big gulps of water, and only then ducked her head to nibble on the bun.
Out of the corner of her eye, Briar noticed Brandon sneakily pressing the button for the privacy partition.
She could only stare speechlessly.
Briar thought, ‘Seriously, what is up with these two?
‘I literally just got so busy that I forgot to eat, that’s all!
‘Why are they freaking out? Why are they treating me like I’m made of glass?
‘The way they’re acting, you’d think I was about to keel over and die any second.’
