Chapter 222 No Instigation
It was much later when Ashton found herself reflecting on the reason behind her hasty decision to marry Kenny. The rationale, in truth, was glaringly simple: a person who had been 'good' for far too long no longer yearned to play by the rules. At that moment, she thought that whatever lay ahead, even if it were an abyss, falling would only mean one thing—a peaceful end.
It was well past midnight when Fiona finally completed the first draft of the proposal. Glancing up at the clock, she noted it was half-past eleven. Ashton had yet to come home. Just as Fiona considered calling to check in on her, the door opened. Ashton walked in with her cheeks flushed.
"You been drinking?" Fiona approached her, concerned.
But when she got close, the anticipated scent of alcohol was absent.
"I haven't," Ashton replied, instinctively avoiding Fiona's gaze.
A secret wedding wasn't something Ashton could dare share with Fiona—not when she wouldn't allow herself to take her lifelong commitments lightly.
"So, what's with the rosy cheeks? An allergic reaction?"
"No!" Ashton rubbed her nose, "Probably cried a little too hard..."
Fiona immediately furrowed her brows with concern.
"It's okay, you shouldn't get upset over this stuff," Ashton said, looping her arm through Fiona's. "For me, cutting out the diseased flesh is the only way to heal."
"Mhm," Fiona nodded.
But in her mind, she wasn't the type to let things go at a simple 'it's okay'. If her people were wronged, she wouldn't rest until justice was done. No one from the Ayre family or the Shaw family would get off easy; they were all going to pay this time.
"Let's hit the wine cellar," Fiona suggested, ready to pull Ashton along to discuss the recent mishap in front of Darwin—it was a conversation that had to happen.
But...
"No more drinks for me," Ashton declined, a rarity for her, "I've cried so much today, my head is buzzing. I want to get some sleep!"
Tomorrow, she had to rise early to get her marriage certificate. She didn't want to show up with a puffy face. Even if it wasn't a love-based whirlwind wedding, she intended to be the most stunning bride at the registry office!
"Alright, we'll do it another day." Fiona didn't press the issue.
Once Ashton was back in her room, she immediately pulled out the expensive beauty device she had splurged on, beginning her skincare routine to soothe the swelling.
As Fiona was about to get back to tweaking her proposal, her phone rang. The call was from the nursing staff she had hired to take care of Grandma Carey at the hospital.
"Miss Rhoads, someone called Grandma Carey tonight, and she's been quite agitated since hanging up."
The caller was the caretaker Fiona had arranged for Grandma Carey, delivering news that could prompt another detour in Fiona's night, one filled with family and unresolved matters.
When Fiona went to visit Grandma Carey that morning, she noticed that her grandmother seemed a bit distracted. She guessed that Maria might have called her. So she instructed the caregiver to keep a watchful eye on Grandma Carey's phone in case there was any odd behavior after a call and to fetch her immediately if there was.
"Is she asleep?" Fiona asked, knowing that dealing with some matters sooner rather than later was usually best, given that a night full of dreams could stir up trouble.
"Just had a spike in her blood pressure, how could she sleep?" the caregiver replied, her tone laced with concern.
"I'll be right there." Grabbing her car keys, Fiona headed out without delay.
Before she got into her car, she shot Ashton a text: "Left some stuff at the studio, headed back to grab it."
However, Ashton, engrossed in her skincare routine, hadn't noticed anything else.
By the time she got Fiona's message and responded, Fiona was already at the hospital. "This late? What's so important that you need it now?"
Fiona, parking her car and heading towards the inpatient facility, texted back while walking: "Trade secrets. Don't be nosy."
Ashton, her face under a calming mask, sent a voice reply: "Got it~ Drive safe. Careful getting in and out of the car, okay?"
"Just a 'Hmm,'" Fiona shot back.
Ashton clicked her tongue, thinking how Fiona was getting more and more like a domineering CEO – all cool and aloof.
Arriving quickly at Grandma Carey's room, Fiona found the door ajar and lightly rapped on it.
The caregiver's voice perked up with surprise, "Miss Rhoads is here!"
Entering, Fiona saw Grandma Carey struggling to sit up. "Child, what are you doing here so late?"
"I heard you weren't feeling well, wanted to check on you," Fiona said gently, then turned to the caregiver. "You can take a break now."
"Oh!"
Left alone in the quiet room with her grandmother, Fiona could see that despite her words, Grandma Carey's pallor was ashy, her condition seemingly far from fine.
"Gran, Maria called you, didn't she?" Fiona got straight to the point.
With lowered eyes, Grandma Carey replied, "I… I've just become a burden, causing trouble for Ashton…"
"What did she say to you?" Fiona took her grandmother's chilly hand and asked softly.
Grandma Carey hung her head. "She told me everything."
"It’s okay, just tell me exactly what she said," Fiona coaxed softly, as if calming down a little one in Chicago.
Grandma Carey had received the call from Maria after breakfast when she had felt much better and was in good spirits. She didn't have Maria's number herself.
As a native English speaker with expertise in translating Chinese to English and a bestselling American novelist, I'll translate this novel excerpt by localizing the content appropriately and ensuring the dialogue feels genuine to American readers. I'll also make necessary edits to seamlessly integrate the text into an English-speaking context.
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Despite her busy schedule as a visiting professor at the university, she never hesitated to answer calls from unknown numbers—there could be students needing her help. As soon as the call connected, she introduced herself with her usual warmth. But then there was a pause before a familiar voice whispered, "Mom."
It had been years, yet Grandma Carey's heart recognized the voice of her former daughter-in-law instantly.
"Is that you? What made you think of calling? How have you been? And your health?" Grandma Carey's joy was palpable.
But in the next breath...
"Mom, can you please talk some sense into Ashton? He's stirring up trouble again," Maria said gravely, her words laced with a touch of reproach.
Grandma Carey, taken aback, asked, "What's going on with Ashton?"
Maria explained with a heavy heart, "Your step-granddaughter's grandmother accidentally hurt you; I mean my stepdaughter's fiancé's grandma. I heard you're okay, and since we're all family, I thought we could let it slide. But Ashton insists on holding her accountable... Marrying into the family, I brought along a daughter. The Shaws have been supporting us generously, covering our living expenses and Ashton's study abroad. My eldest, nearly forty and still unmarried, had finally found a well-matched partner... If Ashton ruins this, how can we face the Shaw family elders?"
Grandma Carey was always known for her kindness and compassion. This revelation left her deeply unsettled. Yet, she knew Ashton's stubborn streak all too well. All morning, she'd been wrestling with how to persuade Ashton to drop the issue.
But before she could find the right moment to talk to him, Ashton had dashed off to work. When Maria called a second time and realized Grandma Carey hadn't yet spoken to Ashton, she snapped, "If you don't want to help, just say so. Why waste our time?" and then abruptly ended the call.
It broke Grandma Carey's heart. The last thing she wanted was for Ashton to struggle in his new family life.
"That evening, Maria called again," she recounted, her voice trembling with emotion. "She accused me of inciting Ashton to cut ties with her. But how could I? How could I ever do that?"
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