Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Don’t Come Any Closer
Ashley Shaw didn’t have the time to think too much, hurriedly scrambling to pick up her vibrating phone from the carpet.
Warren Prescott was still asleep. She pressed the phone to her ear while quickly walking towards the bathroom.
"Hello? Ashley? Where did you go so early in the morning?"
Ariana Grant’s voice was anxious.
Ashley Shaw thought for a moment and decided to tell a harmless lie.
"I’m out for a morning run. I’ll be back in about half an hour."
"You gave me a fright. I thought something happened since you weren’t at home."
"What could possibly happen? Don’t worry needlessly."
"As long as you’re okay. What do you want for breakfast?"
"Just cook me an egg."
"Want some soy milk?"
"Sure."
"Okay! I’m hanging up now!"
After the call ended, Ashley Shaw let out a long sigh of relief.
If Ariana knew she had spent the entire night with Warren, who knows where her imagination would have taken her.
Sometimes, less is more.
Ashley Shaw walked out of the bathroom. Warren was still sleeping, with most of his face buried under the covers. It made one wonder if he might suffocate.
She tugged the blanket gently.
"Warren?"
There was no reaction.
Ashley Shaw’s heart tightened. She extended a finger under Warren’s nose to check if he was breathing.
He was.
Alive.
Ashley Shaw exhaled and gently slapped Warren’s face.
"Wake up! Time to wake up!"
She wasn’t being gentle at all.
As expected, Warren slowly opened his eyes, looking a bit dazed.
But the moment he saw her, some clarity returned to his eyes.
"Ashley Shaw?"
His voice was husky with sleep.
"It’s me. You weren’t having a nightmare."
Warren immediately tried to sit up, but as soon as he moved, he clutched his head in pain.
"Headache?"
"Yeah." It felt like a nail was drilled into his head, sharp and dull pain spreading throughout his skull.
"Drink some water first. I’ll go downstairs to buy you some porridge to settle your stomach. You must be hungry."
She hadn’t given him any hangover medicine last night. If she had, he wouldn’t have a headache now.
Ashley Shaw handed him a glass of water and turned to leave, but suddenly stopped.
Wait a minute.
She was no longer his wife—why was she still concerned about him being hungry?
Such a damn reflex!
Ashley Shaw turned back with a stern face, just about to say she needed to leave when Warren’s phone rang loudly.
Warren glanced at the screen and then looked at her, saying, "It’s Grandpa calling."
"You should answer it."
"Okay."
Warren pressed the answer key and turned on the speakerphone.
"You rascal!" A displeased voice came from Grandpa Prescott on the other end.
"Grandpa, it’s me."
"I was scolding you! Where did you run off to? Didn’t come back last night? With your mom not at home, you don’t even bother coming back? Just because you don’t want to see your dad doesn’t mean you can ignore the rest of us, especially this old man!"
Warren felt a bit embarrassed being scolded by his grandpa in front of Ashley and curled his fingers awkwardly.
But he didn’t interrupt, letting his grandfather vent until he was done before speaking.
"I spent last night with Ashley, and we’re still at the hotel."
Ashley Shaw suddenly widened her eyes, and there was immediate silence from Grandpa’s side.
He could say he was with anyone, but why say he was with her? And at a hotel!
Though it was true, saying it like this was bound to cause misunderstandings, wasn’t it?
Ashley Shaw was infuriated, staring at Warren with a look that could kill.
She shouldn’t have softened yesterday and gone to the bar to find him!
Reeling from anger, Ashley’s chest began to rise and fall violently.
If she didn’t take a few deep breaths, she feared she might rush over and strangle him.
"Ahem..."
Grandpa Prescott coughed on the other end and said, "Alright, then. Be busy. Discuss anything else when you come back. Your dad doesn’t know you didn’t come back. I’ll hang up now..."
"Wait!"
Ashley Shaw panicked.
They couldn’t end the call without clarifying anything.
She rushed to the bedside, snatching the phone from Warren’s hand.
"Grandpa Prescott, things aren’t as you think. Let me explain. Warren got drunk last night, and his friends called me to help take care of him, and that’s all."
"Did he...bully you?"
Ashley felt Warren’s gaze on her, but she pretended not to notice and said into the phone, "No. He was drunk, and a high school friend and I carried him to the hotel. He just woke up."
As she spoke, she deliberately mentioned the classmate, hoping Grandpa Prescott would understand it wasn’t just her who brought Warren to the hotel.
There was a pause on the other end, Grandpa’s voice sounding regretful.
"So that’s the case. This rascal has caused you trouble."
"It’s fine, really nothing at all."
"Then you better have him come back. I’ll give him a good beating to see if he’ll still dare to drink irresponsibly in the future."
"Okay."
Ashley Shaw hung up the call, scowling as she tossed the phone back at Warren.
"Do you realize how easily you made Grandpa misunderstand just now?"
Warren had completely regained his clarity.
He remembered the photo Lars Prescott had shown him yesterday.
Saying that to Grandpa was deliberate!
He never pretended to be a gentleman, just an unabashedly straightforward person.
He had been playing the gentleman act recently, almost driving himself nuts.
He didn’t want to act anymore.
Wasn’t Ashley Shaw the one who had used money to sever contact with him? Then he would create contact.
Yet seeing Ashley angry riled him up as well, making it hard to restrain his emotions.
"What are you afraid of?"
Ashley furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"
Warren tossed aside the covers, getting up.
Even barefoot, his tall frame towered over Ashley, making the room’s air feel compressed.
A cold laugh escaped Warren’s throat as he stepped toward her, speaking.
"Why are you afraid of him misunderstanding? Afraid I’ll ruin your reputation, keeping you from being with Archie?"
Ashley’s frown deepened.
"I don’t get what you’re saying. What does this have to do with Cillian Xavier?"
"Used to call him Cillian Xavier from school. Now, it’s just Cillian Xavier? Soon, will it just be Archie?"
As Warren approached, Ashley instinctively backed away until there was no more room to retreat, her back against the wall.
She could no longer hold back and pushed against Warren’s chest.
"Don’t come any closer! I’m leaving!"
She pushed hard against Warren’s chest, but to him, it felt like a declawed kitten playfully pawing at him.
Not painful at all, but a little ticklish.
An enticingly tantalizing tickle.
His throat unconsciously bobbed, eyes burning as he stared at Ashley.
"You just told Grandpa I didn’t bully you. You might have to rethink that."
Ashley knew all too well what that look and those words meant for both of them.
Her heart raced with fear.
"W-what are you trying to do..."