Ashton glanced at his watch during the lunch break at the seminar's opening session. He got up from his chair and walked to the corner to message Hannah.
"Hey, have you had lunch yet?" Ashton wrote.
Hannah replied soon after: "I have. I'm at a nearby restaurant, and honestly, I feel like going home."
Ashton's eyebrows furrowed, puzzled by Hannah's sudden lousy mood. He began to wonder if Hannah could be feeling homesick. A wave of worry washed over him.
Quickly, Ashton typed a reply. "Where are you? I'll come get you right away."
"Don't bother. I'll be back in our room soon. I'm not feeling well, so please don't bother me."
Ashton's mind went into chaos.
"If you're like this, I'll only worry more. I'm coming to you now. Send me your location," Ashton muttered as he typed another message.
Hannah replied. "I'm sorry, but no need. I'll be fine, please."
Ashton walked towards the exit, almost bumping into another doctor as h
"Morning, Hannah!"Ashton's greeting and smile made Hannah's heart skip a beat. She nodded slightly in return."Morning, Doc," Hannah replied with a small smile. "Ashton."Since returning from Japan, Hannah had felt more awkward around Ashton, and she tried her best to hide it. But Ashton remained the same, which made Hannah nervous because of the unfamiliar feelings growing inside her."Did you take your vitamins?" Ashton asked.The question felt different to Hannah. He probably asked all his staff or patients the same thing—or so she guessed. But why did it bother her? Why did it make her happy? She hadn't understood her own heart lately."Yes, I did," Hannah nodded."Do you have plans for Saturday? Are you going somewhere?" Ashton asked.Hannah rarely went out. On the weekends, Ashton always invited her somewhere. Was he going to ask her out again?"Not really," Hannah shook her head. "I was planning to stay hom
When Victoria entered the living room, Gloria immediately stood up and smiled broadly. Victoria casually approached Gloria, and they exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek. But when Ashton walked behind her, Gloria's heart pounded even harder."How have you been, Victoria?" Gloria greeted."The same, dear."Ashton remained calm, showing no sign of annoyance. He held out his hand to Gloria. "Are you well, Gloria?""Well..." Gloria trailed off, leaving her sentence hanging.She shook Ashton's hand briefly before quickly sitting down. In truth, Gloria wanted to vent her frustration with Ashton but couldn't bring herself to do so in front of his mother. Victoria sat beside Ashton and Gloria, nervous and trying to hide her emotions."So, what do you want to discuss this time, dear?" Victoria asked."You picked Ashton up at the airport?" Gloria asked instead. "You saw who he came home with, didn't you, Victoria?"Victoria didn't answ
Dragging her feet beside Ashton, Hannah yawned repeatedly. She was exhausted and longed to collapse onto a bed and sleep for hours. Ashton noticed her attitude and chuckled softly."I'll take you home," Ashton said.Hannah shook her head. "We're taking a cab to the airport, Ashton. How exactly are you dropping me off at home?""I'll ride with you. I'll ensure you get home first, then the cab can take me."Hannah shook her head again, covering her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle another yawn. "No, you're tired too.""I just want to make sure you get to Elizabeth's apartment safely," Ashton reasoned. "What if you fall asleep on the way?""I'll be fine, Ashton."Ashton didn't press further, nodding softly as he pulled her suitcase toward the exit gate. But when they stepped outside, and he spotted someone waiting in the crowd, Ashton froze in surprise.Standing apart from the bustling crowd was Victoria, accompanied by h
During the seminar, Hannah spent most of her time in the room resting instead of going out. She only saw Ashton in the morning because he always returned to the room late at night.Ashton returned to the room before dinner on the last day of the seminar.As he walked in, Ashton noticed that his and Hannah's suitcases were neatly lined up. He saw that Hannah was watching a variety show."Hey, I thought you were out exploring," Ashton greeted.Hannah shook her head. "It's more comfortable in the room.""Why are our bags already packed?""We're leaving tomorrow, aren't we?" Hannah replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I just wanted to have everything ready for when we leave.""Yes, true. But my dirty laundry..." Ashton hesitated. "You packed it?"Hannah grinned. "I asked housekeeping to put them in a laundry bag.""Nice." Ashton chuckled.Hannah stood and retrieved her bag, pulled out a black card, and held it ou
Hannah sat on the sofa while Ashton sat on the edge of the bed facing her. He waited for her to calm down because she looked shaken."Alden Harrison was my ex-husband, but our marriage ended badly. I don't want to discuss it, and that's all you need to know," Hannah confessed.Ashton nodded slowly. "Okay.""How did you know that Alden was my ex-husband?"Ashton realized he had made a mistake by looking into Hannah's personal past. There was no point in lying now."I looked up your background online, although I didn't find any significant evidence," Ashton admitted honestly. "Just the names Alden and Hannah Harrison. It was just a hunch that he might be your ex-husband.""Well, okay." Hannah exhaled. "I don't blame you for looking into it. I hoped no one would find out, but you can't bury the past forever.""I'm sorry, Hannah.""That's all right."Ashton's curiosity was annoying, and Hannah felt her privacy had been viola
Ashton glanced at his watch during the lunch break at the seminar's opening session. He got up from his chair and walked to the corner to message Hannah."Hey, have you had lunch yet?" Ashton wrote.Hannah replied soon after: "I have. I'm at a nearby restaurant, and honestly, I feel like going home."Ashton's eyebrows furrowed, puzzled by Hannah's sudden lousy mood. He began to wonder if Hannah could be feeling homesick. A wave of worry washed over him.Quickly, Ashton typed a reply. "Where are you? I'll come get you right away.""Don't bother. I'll be back in our room soon. I'm not feeling well, so please don't bother me."Ashton's mind went into chaos."If you're like this, I'll only worry more. I'm coming to you now. Send me your location," Ashton muttered as he typed another message.Hannah replied. "I'm sorry, but no need. I'll be fine, please."Ashton walked towards the exit, almost bumping into another doctor as h