Hannah stared at her phone screen, reading Elizabeth's message. A small smile curved her lips. Although Elizabeth had included some advice, asking Hannah to be careful during her trip to Japan, the middle-aged woman wrote at the text's end: "Have fun with Ashton."
Oh, Elizabeth, always something, Hannah thought.
Elizabeth didn't know about the drama between Ashton and Gloria, which still made Hannah feel uneasy. Hopefully, Gloria wouldn't stir up any more trouble, but Hannah thought it best to let Ashton handle it if she did.
When Hannah saw Ashton approach with two cups of drinks, she shoved her phone into her bag. Ashton handed her one of the cups before sitting down next to her.
"There's a delay. We won't be boarding for another hour," Ashton grumbled. "And this is supposed to be a direct flight."
"It's okay. It's no big deal. We're not getting in too early, are we?"
"We were supposed to land at five in the morning, but now it'll probably
After ending the call, the middle-aged woman exhaled deeply and placed the phone on her lap. Her eyes fell on the younger woman sitting restlessly on the sofa across from her. Gloria, of course, was anxiously awaiting news."What did he say? Am I right about Ashton being with another woman?" Gloria asked.Victoria Hemmingway, the elegant middle-aged woman, shook her head briefly. Having Gloria visit her two days in a row was beginning to interfere with her activities, especially since this matter involved her son, Ashton.Victoria had long known Gloria's feelings for Ashton since their youth, but she had never wanted to interfere. Now Gloria was dragging her into it, trying to win Ashton over. But who exactly was this, Hannah, the administrator?There was no way that Ashton would bring a woman along just for fun.Victoria felt her head start to throb."Well, Victoria?" Gloria pressed again."Ashton is on a train, and as far as I can t
After getting off the plane, Hannah felt a little tired but tried to act normal. They took a taxi from the airport and explored Tokyo briefly before stopping at a train station."A train station?" Hannah asked, confused.She assumed Ashton was planning to take her on a bullet train to the city where the seminar was held. But she was wrong; Ashton led her to another platform with only a few passengers. Hannah noticed a sign indicating that this was a tourist train."Ashton, why are we here?" Hannah asked, still confused."We're taking a relaxing trip since my part of the seminar doesn't start until the day after tomorrow," Ashton replied casually."But—"Before Hannah could protest, a porter carried their luggage to the platform. They were greeted by an attendant who escorted them to the waiting train. Hannah swallowed nervously as she took in the sight of the vintage brown train.Once inside, there were cabins for the passengers
Alden jerked awake from his sleep, his eyes blinking rapidly as his phone's incessant buzzing on the nightstand continued. He quickly grabbed his phone, stared at the screen momentarily, and answered the call."Yes, Sarah?" Alden greeted hoarsely."Where are you? Why aren't you here? Why did you leave me in my sleep?"Sarah's whining tone tugged at Alden's guilt, but he had work to do and didn't want to disturb Sarah's rest."I'm sorry, Sarah. But I have to leave for Japan in the morning. You understand, right? I'm doing this for your recovery. We're trying to find a way to get you better," Alden explained."I'm okay! Why did you treat me like a sick person? You and Kenneth said I was fine, but why haven't I been out of the hospital for two weeks?""Sarah... everything is going to be fine. It's just a procedure; don't overthink it. Think of it as your time off. Okay?"There was silence on the other end."Sarah? Don't be upset,"
Hannah stared at her phone screen, reading Elizabeth's message. A small smile curved her lips. Although Elizabeth had included some advice, asking Hannah to be careful during her trip to Japan, the middle-aged woman wrote at the text's end: "Have fun with Ashton."Oh, Elizabeth, always something, Hannah thought.Elizabeth didn't know about the drama between Ashton and Gloria, which still made Hannah feel uneasy. Hopefully, Gloria wouldn't stir up any more trouble, but Hannah thought it best to let Ashton handle it if she did.When Hannah saw Ashton approach with two cups of drinks, she shoved her phone into her bag. Ashton handed her one of the cups before sitting down next to her."There's a delay. We won't be boarding for another hour," Ashton grumbled. "And this is supposed to be a direct flight.""It's okay. It's no big deal. We're not getting in too early, are we?""We were supposed to land at five in the morning, but now it'll probably
Hannah had prepared the files on her desk and was ready to leave them with Wendy. Ashton was serious about his invitation, and now Hannah had to visit Japan. Her mind was still unsettled, though she tried to hide her anxiety.Even the staff and the other doctor did not seem to mind, but their gestures and eyes seemed to indicate that they understood what was happening between Hannah and Ashton.Hannah is annoyed because there's nothing between her and Ashton. All she can think about is how reckless Ashton is."I hope nothing bad happens," Hannah muttered.The door to her office opened, and Wendy's smiling face appeared in the doorway."Hey, are you leaving?" Wendy greeted cheerfully.Hannah nodded. "Yes, I'm leaving my work with you, Wendy. I've prepared all the necessary documents—they're on the desk.""Don't worry," Wendy said with a wink. "Have fun with Dr. Ash.""Have fun?" Hannah's eyes widened. "I'm going there to w
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of warm, appetizing dishes, a moment Hannah felt saved by the bell. Thankfully, Ashton didn't press her further about her ex. Deep down, Hannah was sure Ashton could find out on his own if he wanted to.Dinner proceeded with light conversation, allowing Hannah to regain her composure. It seemed Ashton had no intention of digging into her past, and she appreciated his respect for her privacy....After dinner, Ashton walked Hannah back to Elizabeth's apartment, all the way to her door. It seemed that Elizabeth hadn't heard about the dramatic incident in the elevator because the older woman was already asleep when Hannah arrived home."See you tomorrow, Ashton," Hannah whispered as she held the door open. "Be careful in the elevator.""I might start using the stairs now," Ashton replied with a soft chuckle.They both laughed lightly like smitten teenagers awkwardly chatting on a doorstep. Ashto