Chapter 116
Brandon wasted no time and found the nearest restaurant. Considering the late hour and safety concerns, he naturally chose one of then own establishments.
He had already informed the restaurant manager in advance, so as soon as their car pulled up, the manager hurried over, smiling as te opened the doors for them.
He said, “Mr. Wade, Miss Jennings, the food is ready. Please follow me.”
Not a single word was wasted. Everyone was laser–focused on making sure Briar could eat as soon as possible.
When Briar sat down at the table with Ashton, she was totally floored by the sight of all the steaming hot dishes spread out before fier.
She knew that with just a word from Ashton, his people would do whatever it took to get things done.
However, it truly puzzled her how such a big feast could be prepared in just twenty minutes.
The restaurant manager, catching her bewilderment, grinned and said, “Miss Jennings, is there anything else you’d like to eat?
“Don’t worry, even if our kitchen can’t whip it up in time, we can always snatch some from the restaurants next door.”
Briar was speechless. “Snatch? So, all these dishes were snatched?”
The manager lifted his chin proudly. “That’s right!”
Briar was at a loss for words.
While they were talking, Ashton was already carefully filling Briar’s plate with food and ladling her a small bowl of chicken soup. “Drink some chicken soup first, it’ll warm you up.”
The restaurant manager, being tactful, slipped away with a cheerful grin.
Brandon sat across from them, watching how ridiculously attentive Ashton was to Briar.
He couldn’t help but think, ‘Man, the boss must be drowning in guilt right now.’
Ashton really was feeling guilty.
If he’d known Briar would get so anxious over what happened last night that she’d hole up at home alt day without eating, he would’ve dropped everything and dragged her out for a meal earlier.
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Ashton thought, ‘How is she this pure? Just catching me coming out of the shower, and she gets so shy she won’t even step outside for a
whole day?
‘Did she lose sleep over it?‘
The more he thought about it, the more Ashton just wanted to spoil Briar and take care of her in every possible way.
It was funny how misunderstandings could sometimes be the start of something really beautiful.
From then on, the famously cold and untouchable Ashton started seeing Briar in a totally different way.
Words like “innocent,” “timid,” and “shy” suddenly made perfect sense to him, at least when it came to her.
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To be precise, he had a filter over her.
At first, Briar felt a bit embarrassed, but with a whole table of mouthwatering dishes in front of her, she just couldn’t hold back
Even though it wasn’t her beloved Zakian cuisine, the flavors totally blew her away. She was honestly amazed.
Pretty soon, all her shyness melted away. When faced with such good food, that little bit of awkwardness didn’t stand a chance.
For dessert, the kitchen had just made a fresh cranberry mousse cake, along with a bowl of juice to help settle the stomach
Since Briar hadn’t eaten all day, Ashton kept an eye on her portions, making sure she didn’t eat too much at once.
He was worried her stomach couldn’t handle it after going so long without food.
“Does your stomach feel uncomfortable at all?” Ashton asked, sitting beside her and making sure to eat a fair amount himself.
Briar shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
With Ashton watching over her, Briar didn’t even have a chance to overeat, so her stomach felt fine.
Besides, there wasn’t a single bit of chili in tonight’s meal. Her stomach was being pampered.
“Good, as long as you’re feeling fine.” Ashton nodded, clearly satisfied. “Next time, no matter how busy you get, you have to eat on time.”
Briar could only surrender. Not wanting Ashton to lecture her like a little kid, she piped up, “Okay. I’ll be more careful next time.”
‘Even if I do forget to eat, there’s no way I’m telling him,‘ Briar thought to herself.
Ashton checked the time and smiled. “It’s still early. There’s a little park nearby. How about I take you for a walk?”
Now that she was full and satisfied, Briar couldn’t just eat and run. “Sure, let’s go for a walk. It’ll help with digestion anyway.”
Half an hour later, the three of them ended up at the entrance to Flowery Park.
Flowery Park was lined with flowers everywhere.
It was the height of their blooming season, and even before they stepped inside, the sweet, heady fragrance of the flowers drifted out to greet
them.
A gentle breeze rustled through, and clusters of osmanthus blossoms looked like twinkling stars under the streetlights and among the green
leaves.
The air was filled with their refreshing scent, giving the night a unique, romantic vibe for everyone strolling beneath the trees.
Ashton and Briar walked side by side, both quietly swept up in the enchanting atmosphere.
“It smells amazing,” Briar said, taking a deep breath of the sweet–scented air.
Before Ashton could respond, she added, “If we put them into cakes, they’d probably be delicious. I’ve heard wine with flowers in them is pretty good too.”
Ashton felt speechless.
Briar couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m just kidding. I’m way too full right now. I couldn’t eat another bite.”
Ashton smiled. “In a few days, I’ll take you to try some.”
10:50 FH, 15 Aug · O
Chapter 116
The Wade Group participated in every industry, Getting her some flower cakes would be a plece of cake.
“Yeah,” Briar replied casually, not giving it much thought. Her eyes landed on a family of three not far away, happily picking blossoms together under a tree.
The scene was warm and joyful, and the child’s laughter was so infectious it made everyone nearby smile.
A flash of heartache flickered in Ashton’s eyes.
Briar had grown up without her parents by her side, so he felt that scenes like this, which was so full of warmth, probably didn’t mean much
to her.
As expected, Briar only paused for a moment before walking around them and heading down another path.
Ashton was dressed casually today, his pants showing off those long legs as he quickly caught up to her.
He changed the subject without missing a beat. “By the way, did you look into that school beauty contest your father mentioned on the phone the other day?”
Briar paused, a little surprised. “No, I didn’t.”
She had zero interest in that contest. If Edgar wanted to obsess over it, that was his business.
Noticing Ashton staring at her, Briar paused and asked uncertainly, “Is there something going on that I don’t know about?”
Ashton was always swamped with work. Ever since she’d started at his company, Briar had seen firsthand just how much he had to juggle.
It was way more than any normal boss. If something had actually caught his attention, there had to be more to the story.
Ashton finally looked away and replied in his usual unhurried tone, “You’re way ahead in the school beauty contest votes.
“Frank and his guys basically rigged it to put you at the top.”
Briar was taken aback. “Frank? Why? Wasn’t he last year’s campus heartthrob? If he’s going to rig the votes, shouldn’t he be doing it for himself?”
Ashton lowered his gaze, his dark eyes flickering over Briar’s face.
With the noise of the park around them, he leaned in closer, his voice low and sexy as he spoke right next to her ear. “Because he knows he’s going to win campus heartthrob again this year.
“However, he doesn’t want to be paired up with any of the other girls. So he’s trying to push you into the campus beauty spot instead.”
Briar turned her head slightly, and suddenly she was so close to Ashton that she could see the sharp lines of his profile
The rich scent of ebony on him overpowered the sweet fragrance of the osmanthus blossoms, filling her senses.
For some reason, the image of Ashton stepping out of the shower last night flashed through her mind, and she replied a little absentmindedly, “Oh, I see.”
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Chapter 117
