Chapter 101: I Slapped Asher

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: I Slapped Asher

"He wants to talk about work, so he goes to my house? Is that how you discuss a project? That’s more like a threat, isn’t it?" I sneered.

"He said he absolutely must see you today. If he can’t... he’ll call off the collaboration and choose to work with Master Lancaster instead." Assistant Foster trailed off, hesitating.

I know Julian Fletcher’s M.O. all too well. Asher forced him to kneel today, and he won’t let it go until he gets his dignity back.

"If he wants to wait, let him wait. Just tell him Asher and I aren’t coming home tonight." I was getting angry and added, "If that doesn’t work, let a dog loose."

Julian Fletcher is afraid of dogs. I heard from Mrs. Fletcher that he was bitten by one as a child.

Assistant Foster fell silent, probably feeling helpless.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Madam, the collaboration with the Fletcher Group is very important. Even if... it doesn’t work out, we can’t afford to make them an enemy."

Assistant Foster knew this was a difficult situation, but the business world isn’t child’s play.

I fell silent, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

I majored in finance myself, so I’m well aware that in the business world, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.

If Julian Fletcher teams up with Master Lancaster, life will become even more difficult for Sebastian Lancaster and me.

Master Lancaster was probably already planning to make a move against Sebastian and me.

"Also, it’s good that you’re not coming back today. Things have been tense lately. There are a few suspicious people loitering around the house. I suspect they’re Master Lancaster’s men. They won’t just let this go. You and the Young Master need to be careful." The reason Assistant Foster picked us up from the subway station exit today was because he had spotted those suspicious individuals.

I frowned. ’So, they’re finally going to make their move?’

The sound of water from the bathroom stopped, and Asher opened the door.

He just stood there, completely naked, water dripping from his body, his hair soaking wet. ’He really... doesn’t see me as a stranger at all, does he?’

I instinctively raised a hand to my forehead, looked down, and hung up the phone. "Can you please put on some clothes before you come out?"

’I’ll admit he has a great body, but is this really the time for that?’

Asher looked at me, completely baffled. "It’s legal."

It was legal, so I could look.

"..." I took a deep breath. ’I just don’t understand the world of a mental patient.’ "Get dressed!"

Seeing me scold him, Asher picked up his clothes with an aggrieved look and silently started putting them on.

I snuck a glance. His back... was covered in hideous scars that looked like demonic vines. They were grotesque... yet strangely alluring.

’Why would I describe them as alluring? Because the scars didn’t detract from his overall beauty at all. Instead, they were like the fine cracks on porcelain, giving him a sort of duality.’

If you only looked at Asher’s face when he was pretending to be good, he looked like a pure white angel.

But the scars on his body proclaimed his fall from grace.

Like Lucifer, who rebelled against God and led half the angels to fall and become demons...

He pulled on his pants and looked at me pitifully.

As if asking if this was okay.

I didn’t say anything, but my fingers moved uncontrollably to touch the scar on his wrist.

It was a scar from self-harm. "Pi?"

’Why would he leave a symbol like that on his own body?’

"Pi. Infinite, non-repeating."

He was explaining the literal meaning, but for some reason, my head began to throb.

Pi, infinite and non-repeating.

Yet when Asher was in the mental hospital, he had been obsessed with trying to calculate it to its end.

’What on earth is he thinking?’

"Cece... shoulder hurts," he said, squatting in front of me like a big, obedient dog.

He was very talkative today.

Much more than usual.

It was probably my sympathy acting up, making me more tolerant of him than before.

"Is it hurt? How did it happen?" I anxiously checked his shoulder. ’Did he get hurt today?’

Then I heard him say in a small voice, "Julian Fletcher. He pushed me."

"..." I opened my mouth to speak, anger flaring up at the mere thought of Julian Fletcher.

"Cece, I’m better than him," he said, earnestly promoting himself again.

"Yes, you’re much better than him. Next time we see him, we’ll beat him up together," I said seriously.

Asher seemed thrilled and immediately tackled me onto the bed.

’If he had a tail, it would be wagging by now.’

"Cece, I have a fever," Asher said, hugging me and wriggling around on the bed.

"..." I fought back my anger. ’I don’t think he has a fever. I think he’s... horny.’

"Sebastian Lancaster, I’m warning you, go to sleep!" Even a fool could see his intentions; he practically had *that* written all over his face.

’Could he be any more shameless?’

"Cece, I really do have a fever. I’m so hot. Feel," he said, always so deadpan while saying things that made me want to crawl into a hole and die.

I thought he wanted me to feel his forehead.

"..." With him holding me from behind, I felt like my hand was no longer mine.

"Sebastian Lancaster, I’m warning you..." I said, practically through gritted teeth.

He buried his head in my shoulder pitifully. This time, he was actually very well-behaved, just holding me.

I turned off the light, thinking I could finally get some sleep, but he was like a large dog, constantly nuzzling and rubbing against me.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned and slapped him across the face.

It was a resounding slap.

In the faint light, my eyes met his deep, innocent ones. They seemed to be welling up with tears, filled with the utmost sense of grievance.

My heart clenched. The moment I slapped him, I regretted it.

’Is it my sympathy acting up again?’

I tried to make excuses for myself.

I instinctively raised my hand and caressed his infuriatingly handsome face. "Go to sleep. Be good."

This time, he really did settle down, not making a sound or a move.

The quiet environment always makes one’s hearing more acute. He sniffled a couple of times. ’Is he crying?’

Great. Now I had insomnia.

’What kind of species is he, anyway? Or am I the one in the wrong?’

Gritting my teeth, I resignedly turned over to face him. "Close your eyes!"

He looked at me for a long time before obediently closing them.

I blushed, took a deep breath, and carefully raised my hand to touch him...

His breathing slowly grew heavy. My hearing felt so sensitive that my whole body wanted to curl up into a ball.

’I really want to dig a hole and bury myself.’

"Don’t move..." He tried to hug me, but I warned him off.

"Cece..." he called my name.

"Don’t talk. And don’t open your eyes..." I threatened through gritted teeth.

But this time, he didn’t listen. He raised his arms, trapped me in his embrace, and kissed me.

"Cece..."

He kept calling my name.

His voice was hoarse, yet alarmingly seductive.

It was like a kitten’s tongue licking at my heart, its tip covered in soft little barbs.

My own breathing began to quicken. I knew he was losing control.

His primitive, beastly nature was his instinct, but because I was still in the early stages of pregnancy, he was able to hold back, even though it was clearly difficult for him.

’Starting tomorrow, we have to sleep in separate rooms!’ I gritted my teeth, swearing to myself.

Otherwise, who knows when I might fall for his tricks and be dragged down into Hell.

"Cece..."

"Cece..."

"I’ve waited for you for so long..."

"Don’t make me wait anymore, okay?"

In a daze, I heard him speaking to me.

Saying he had waited for me for a long time.

That night, I had a dream. In the dream, my childhood sweetheart was no longer Julian Fletcher... but someone else.

But no matter how hard I tried to run to him, I couldn’t see his face clearly.

"Cece, hurry up!" Before me was a grassy field, where a young boy was running ahead, pulling a kite.

I seemed to be very happy, chasing after him endlessly.

Suddenly, a great fire engulfed everything, swallowing the person before my eyes.

"No!" I woke with a start, my breath coming in ragged gasps and my head throbbing.

I’d had another nightmare.

I reached for my phone and glanced at the time. Three in the morning.

I rubbed my temples and reached for Asher, but the space beside me was alarmingly empty.

I shot up, turned on the light, and felt the spot beside me. Asher’s side of the bed was already cold, which meant he must have left not long after I’d fallen asleep.

’Where did he go in the middle of the night?’