Chapter 603 An Accident Occurred at the Dinner Party
Ashley smiled as she watched Ethan and Yaakov drinking tea. Seeing their cups empty, she poured them each another serving.
As she poured the tea, however, she caught a whiff of something odd and furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Ethan asked, noticing her puzzled expression.
"It's nothing. I'm probably overthinking," she replied. While pouring the tea, she'd detected a strange odor, but when she sniffed again, it was gone. She rubbed her temple, wondering if fatigue was causing her to hallucinate.
Just then, Atticus walked in.
Ethan gave him a cool glance. "You made it."
"Yes," Atticus replied.
"Have a seat," Ethan said, playing the role of host.
Atticus nodded and sat beside Yaakov. The two men patted each other's shoulders in greeting.
"Atticus, I haven't seen you in ages! You've lost so much weight," Ashley remarked.
Atticus smiled. "Just busy. The factory's almost complete, our partners need more milk supply, and I've been taking care of my father. I'm stretched pretty thin these days."
"You've been working too hard, Atticus. Here, have some meat to regain your strength," Ashley said, placing a piece of meat on his plate.
Atticus smiled warmly. "Thanks."
"No need for formalities between us!"
They exchanged a friendly smile—warm with familial affection, without a hint of romantic tension.
Ethan scowled and huffed, "I've lost weight too. I want some meat as well."
Though he knew there was nothing between them, he couldn't help feeling jealous of their closeness right under his nose.
Yaakov teased, "Someone's jealous!"
Atticus suppressed a laugh and glanced at Ethan.
Ashley shot Ethan a playful glare and added a piece of meat to his plate. "Here you go."
"My hand hurts. I can't pick it up," Ethan whined. "You'll have to feed me." He opened his mouth expectantly—handsome features contrasting with his childish behavior.
Ashley thought to herself how embarrassing this was with everyone watching. Her face flushed crimson.
Seeing her hesitation, Ethan urged, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up."
Red-faced, Ashley fed him the piece of meat, then glared at him, whispering, "Don't push it. Everyone's watching."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, ignoring her protest. Instead, he planted a light kiss on her cheek. "Thank you, darling. You're the best." He deliberately glanced at Atticus as he said this.
Ethan added, "Atticus, you're not getting any younger. When are you going to settle down and get married?"
As long as Atticus remained single, Ethan perceived him as a potential threat.
Atticus sighed. "You're not my father. Mind your own business."
Ethan looked at him disdainfully. "I already have a son. I certainly don't need you as one!"
Atticus rolled his eyes.
He was completely resigned to Ethan's behavior, recognizing it as a territorial display. Since learning that Ashley and Ethan had reconciled, Atticus had genuinely wished them well.
Loving someone didn't necessarily mean possessing them.
Seeing her happy made him happy too.
Witnessing their marital bliss had replaced his heartache with genuine goodwill.
"Speaking of which, Isabella seems lovely. Atticus, why don't you get to know her better?" Ashley suggested.
Only then did Atticus notice another woman sitting beside Ashley.
Isabella, who had been deliberately keeping a low profile, felt awkward at being suddenly mentioned.
Ashley stuffed another piece of meat into Ethan's mouth and scolded him, "Stop trying to play matchmaker!"
"Isabella, ignore Ethan's nonsense. This is Atticus," Ashley said.
Isabella looked at Atticus and nodded slightly. "Hello, I'm Isabella, Ashley's friend."
Atticus returned the nod. "Nice to meet you."
"Atticus, Isabella is actually crucial to your business. She's heading to Aivalia tomorrow as our regional promotion and client acquisition manager," Ashley explained.
Hearing this, Atticus straightened up. "I provide the milk supply, you handle the research, and she manages promotion. We're all working toward the same goal. Let's drink to our brand's future success!"
Everyone smiled and raised their cups. "To our product's success!"
They all drank their tea together.
Unbeknownst to them, Elora was peering through a ventilation duct in the ceiling. Watching them drink the tea, she smirked wickedly.
"Let's eat," Ashley suggested.
"Yes, let's," the others agreed.
They chatted while eating, occasionally sipping tea when thirsty.
Suddenly, Ashley shook her head, looking disoriented. Isabella noticed and asked, "Ashley, are you alright?"
Ashley pointed at the tea. "The tea... something's wrong..."
Before she could finish, she collapsed to the floor.
"Darling!" Ethan cried out in alarm before he too fell unconscious.
One by one, everyone in the private dining room passed out.
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