Ch49 - Her Husband

“Here we are.” Edward eased the car to a stop.

Violet lived downtown, not far from the workshop. Still, the drive felt even shorter than he expected — like he’d barely had time to say a few words before they were already there. She’d been working in his studio for a while now, but he realized he didn’t really know much about her. Or maybe… he just wanted to know more.

“Thanks for the ride,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

Edward took the chance to step out and walk around to open her door.

She gave him another polite “thank you,” and he smiled. “No problem. But you—”

She tilted her head. “Oh, are you asking about the watch restoration?”

He paused for a second, then nodded. “Yeah, right. Forgot to ask how it’s going — any issues so far?”

He glanced up at the tall, expensive-looking apartment building in front of them and swallowed whatever else he was going to say.

“I finished cleaning the inside and out,” she said. “If all goes well, I can start reassembling tomorrow.”

“Oh? You’re ahead of schedule. No rush though — take your time.” Edward rubbed the bridge of his nose, hesitating before adding, “I was actually wondering if you’re free this weekend—”

He didn’t finish. His voice stopped cold when he saw a tall figure appear behind Violet, a man’s arm sliding around her shoulders.

Violet felt the sudden weight on her shoulder and turned, only to meet Julian’s sharp, icy gaze.

Edward froze. “And you are…?”

She blinked, suddenly unsure how to introduce him. “Uh…”

Julian’s arm tightened around her, but his tone stayed smooth as he extended his free hand. “You must be Edward, her master.”

He’d heard of Edward — the famed watchmaker — but had never met him in person until now.

As Edward hesitantly shook his hand, Julian continued, “Julian Ashford. Violet’s husband.”

Husband…

Edward’s whole body went stiff. His smile faltered, his brain short-circuited for a second before he managed a polite, “Ah, my apologies. I’ve only recently moved to the States — didn’t recognize you right away.”

Julian Ashford — the name carried weight. Everyone in the trade knew him. A man with deep pockets, generous orders, and even more colorful rumors. If he liked your work, he could fill your commission book for a year.

“No worries,” Julian said casually. “You’ve taken good care of my wife. I should’ve visited your workshop sooner to thank you in person. Why don’t you come up for a drink? Unless you’ve got somewhere to be.”

Edward’s expression shifted — a complicated mix of pride, guilt, and discomfort. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to meet Violet’s eyes. He gave a strained smile. “Thanks, but I’ll pass. I’ve still got some work to finish tonight.”

“Alright then. Take care,” Violet said with a small, polite smile.

Edward nodded, mumbled a quick goodbye, and walked off. She couldn’t quite explain it, but the air suddenly felt strange — heavier somehow.

As soon as he was out of sight, the arm around her shoulder tightened. Julian’s voice came from just above her head, low and steady. “Come on. Your nose’s turning red from the cold.”

Inside the building, he finally let her go — only to glance down at her hand and nudge her fingers lightly. “Why aren’t you wearing your ring?”

Violet blinked and touched her bare finger. “Oh. It gets in the way when I’m working.”

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t press it. Still, he couldn’t stop replaying that look Edward had given her — the softness in his eyes.

He pulled out his phone and shot a text to Craig. “Why the hell didn’t I know Edward was that young?”

Craig, who’d just gotten into bed, stared at the message, baffled. You never asked, he thought, but he typed back, “My mistake, sir. I’ll make note of it next time.”

A second message buzzed through. “Hire another driver. Dedicated to taking her to and from work.”

Craig saw the word “her” and immediately pieced it together. Oh, this is different, he thought. His boss was really acting out of character this time.

“Understood,” he replied quickly. “I’ll handle it first thing tomorrow. ”

———

Edward sat in his car, staring blankly at the windshield, a hollow ache spreading through his chest.

Josef had told him before that the Ashford family didn’t have a daughter — but it had never crossed his mind that she would be Julian’s wife.

He pressed the back of his hand against his eyes, trying to steady himself, but his mind was a mess of emotions he couldn’t even name.

The phone rang. He sighed and picked it up without checking the screen. “Hello.”

“Why do you sound half-dead?” came Josef’s unmistakable voice — strong, commanding, with a hint of concern beneath it.

Edward blinked, startled back to reality. In the background, he could hear the hum of an airport. “You’ve landed in England already?”

“Just got to Heathrow,” Josef muttered. “Now, what the hell’s going on with you?”

The old man usually wasn’t the type to pry, but hearing his usually composed apprentice sound this off clearly rattled him.

Edward hesitated, his voice carrying a note of frustration. “It’s about my apprentice. Violet.”

“Violet?” Josef cut in instantly. Then his voice dropped low, almost to a whisper, as if to himself. “She’s called that?” A pause. “That’s… quite a coincidence.”

“Oh, right — guess I never told you her name,” Edward said.

Josef nearly asked for her surname, the question rising to his throat before he caught himself. It was ridiculous — over the years, every time he heard that name, it sparked something sharp and painful inside him. He forced his tone steady. “No, doesn’t matter. What about her?”

Edward exhaled slowly. “You were right. She’s not the Ashfords’ daughter — she’s their daughter-in-law.”

“Daughter-in-law?” Josef’s mind kicked into gear. “Wait—Marcus is already engaged, so that would make it… that playboy, Julian?”

Edward didn’t want to say it, but there was no denying what he’d just seen with his own eyes. “Yeah.”

Josef clicked his tongue. “Damn shame. Poor girl. If my granddaughter ever married a bastard like that, I’d drag her out myself — hell, I wouldn’t even let him touch a strand of her hair.”

Edward let out a faint noise through his nose.

Josef caught himself, then circled back to the point. “Alright, so why the long face? She give you attitude or something? Throw her husband’s name around?”

“No, no, she’s nothing like that,” Edward said quickly, realizing how it sounded. “She’s… she’s great, actually. I was just… surprised, that’s all.”

He paused, realizing how absurd this all must sound — even to himself. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. “Anyway, what made you call? Something up?”

Josef grunted. “Yeah. Change of plans. You can come visit next month instead — I’ve got other business after that.”

Edward straightened. “December? You never take visitors in December. Don’t you usually spend that time with your family — holidays, Christmas, all that?”

Josef snorted. “Family? That pack of vultures? They’re just waiting for me to croak so they can split the inheritance.”

Edward couldn’t help but smile wryly. Josef’s family situation wasn’t exactly a secret — a dead daughter, a useless son, and a grandson who lived off the old man’s reputation without an ounce of skill for the craft. He’d always assumed the constant visits were out of love, but apparently, they were just waiting for the will to kick in.

Not knowing what to say to that, Edward finally muttered, “Alright then… guess I’ll come keep you company.”