Lahat ng Kabanata ng He Asked for an Open Marriage, I Walked Away: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

Lydia's mouth twitched. "What a way to make an entrance. Showing up late on your first day as a board member, you sure do have power in spades.""Lydia," Raymond said with quiet finality. "Don't start." He gestured to Ashley. "Now, come and take a seat, we are about to begin."Ashley smiled politely and sat down next to her uncle. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest, but she kept her expression serene.Raymond coughed. "Well, everyone has arrived, so we can get this meeting started. Before we do that, though, I want to present the two newest additions to this board — my niece Ashley Dawson and my nephew Joshua Hart. Both of you are very young, but I think you have the potential to change the future of this hospital."

The audience leaned forward, eyes wide."But wait," the voice continued. "There's more. Virobactin is not just another antibiotic. It is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial that is active against both bacteria and viruses. It works by reprogramming the immune system to allow it to more efficiently detect and destroy threats. In other words, it is a smart medicine. A nanodrug that educates the body to fight back by itself."Gasps echoed across the room. Murmurs filled the air. Some people looked at one another in disbelief, others applauded under their breath.One government official leaned over to his colleague, whispering, "If this is legit, it would mean everything."But before either of them could say anything else, the presenter smiled and announced, "

=Trigger Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content, including graphic depictions of nudity and sex. It is intended for mature audiences (18+).If you're uncomfortable with this type of content, feel free to skip — it won't affect your understanding of the main story.= The television buzzed in the dark room, voices swelling and dipping, but Ashley wasn't listening. She should have loved this program, but her thoughts were restless, scattered. She sat upright on the couch with her knees squeezed tightly together, a little too rigid to be comfortable. A few short lengths away Nathan sat, his head on his hand, eyes trained on the screen but not really seeing it at all.

=Trigger Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content, including graphic depictions of nudity and sex. It is intended for mature audiences (18+).If you're uncomfortable with this type of content, feel free to skip — it won't affect your understanding of the main story.= The words hung between them, fragile as blown glass. Then Nathan pressed in for another kiss and this time it was deeper, ravenous, but still gentle. His hand left her calf to slide up her thigh, the heat of his palm seeping through the thin cloth of her clothes. Ashley exhaled a soft gasp, her fingers digging tight in his shirt.The television buzzed behind them, forgotten.

The sun crept through the blinds in soft yellow slivers, bathing the room in hazy warmth. Ashley blinked slowly, heavy and tired but oddly satisfied. Her entire body felt different — loose, warm, at peace. The night before had been a whirlwind, but not the exhaustion lingered, not, it was the warmth of closeness she had never experienced before.Nathan's voice drifted in from the hallway. He was on the phone, his tone even and serious. She could only catch snippets of the conversation. "Yes, Erick...she'll take the day off...no meetings...just tell everyone to leave her alone."Ashley grinned weakly and snuggled under the blanket deeper. She could almost see Erick's expression at the other end of the phone. Nathan always sounded so collected, but there was a new quality to his voice this morning. Lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from him.Minutes later, the bedroom door opened. Nathan walke