Chapter 5
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Ashley messaged her friend to take Raymond for a few days.
Only after seeing her son off did she finally exhale.
Her wound throbbed, denying sleep. Reaching instinctively for painkillers, her fingers found nothing.
Cold sweat beaded her forehead. As Ashley tried calling for the doctor, Nicole shoved her roughly back onto the bed.
Aaron threw the painkillers away. “Too many will make you dependent, bad for your health. If it hurts? Tough it out yourself.”
When the housekeeper brought food, Ashley wrinkled her nose and demanded oatmeal instead.
“Patients need bland diets.”
Ashley snapped, “Bring it here. Ignore her.”
Nicole crossed her arms, telling the housekeeper, “Think carefully about who my brother listens to.”
After a moment of silence, the housekeeper retreated.
Though Ashley knew the answer all too well, the housekeeper’s choice still stung with humiliation.
Even an outsider could see it clearly.
Aaron, you owe me so much!
Nicole turned with a provoking smile. “When will you divorce and get lost? My brother belongs to me alone. I’ve been his woman since senior year.”
“What if I refuse to leave?”
“Then just wait to collect your son’s corpse. If poisoning once doesn’t work, there’ll be a second and third time.”
Ashley laughed sarcastically.
“Aaron slept with you in high school but didn’t marry you, why? Because it’s free to sleep with someone from your own family?”
Nicole rushed forward, raising her hand to strike.
But her arm was firmly grabbed from behind.
She was pulling the same stunt she used to intimidate the nanny earlier. Ashley said coldly, “This is the security team
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09:48
Chapter 5
I just hired, not your brother’s men. Throw her out!”
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The hospital room fell silent. Ashley took out her phone that had been recording, pressed pause, and saved the file.
On the day she was discharged, Aaron had just returned from a business trip to pick her up.
Nicole thought you resented her for making you eat oatmeal, so she’s been eating nothing but oatmeal at home for a whole week…” he said with concern. “She meant well, just lacks some nutrition knowledge.”
“She wants to mend things with you. She organized a welcome-home party for you today. Try to be gracious.”
Ashley was about to refuse when he added: “I already had someone pick up Ryan.”
He’d hit a nerve. A sharp pain tightened in Ashley’s chest.
Aaron leaned in to kiss her. She turned her head away.
He shoved two gifts into her hands.
“One for you, one for Nicole. She loves earrings and necklaces. Give it to her, she’ll be thrilled.”
Ashley stared out the window. From beginning to end, she didn’t say a word to him.
As soon as she got out of the car, Nicole came up and took Aaron’s arm, her chest almost pressing against his.
“Bro! How do you like the party I set up?”
Aaron nodded gently, “Very nice.”
Nicole tapped her own forehead, “Then reward me.”
She kept shaking his arm, acting cute. Aaron lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to that smooth forehead.
“This is an elder’s kiss for a junior.”
He glanced at Ashley.
Ashley gave a half-smile.
Aaron preferred quiet and hated public displays of affection.
Once at a cocktail party, when people egged him on to kiss her-even just on the cheek-he’d refused.
Aaron coldly stormed off and ended the partnership with that company the very next day.
Never hated intimacy, just the wrong person.
Ashley finally calmed down after finding her son.
She meant to leave immediately, but the boy wanted snacks, so she took him to the refreshment area.
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Chapter 5
Nicole’s voice carried over: “This isn’t good, Aaron. Have mine.”
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Ashley turned to see Nicole feeding Aaron a half-eaten sashimi piece. He accepted it effortlessly, as natural as any or- dinary day.
Yet for years, he’d never even touched their son’s leftovers.
Once the boy finished eating, Ashley waited by the restroom.
Her son’s roar suddenly rang out from inside.
Ashley rushed in and saw her son biting Nicole’s leg without letting go, like a furious little lion.
Beside them, Aaron struck him hard and snapped, “Let go!”
Lipstick smeared around his mouth, while Nicole screamed through tears, her makeup ruined.
Ashley staggered, then lunged to shield her son, trembling with rage.
“Can’t you and your sister screw around somewhere private? Do you know how much this scars the child?”
Nicole’s wails drew a crowd, their eyes darting wildly at these words.
Exhausted, her son released his bite and shrieked, “Bad woman! Bad woman!”
His breathing grew ragged as he collapsed to the floor.
Nicole covered her face and ran off, Aaron chasing after her.
Without a glance at his son lying unconscious on the floor.
