Carl was taken aback at these words. He hadn’t expected Ashlyn to turn against him so suddenly. When he came to his senses, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. Mr. Jones wants to see you. I hope you will come with me.”
Ashlyn looked at Talia, who was standing some way from them, and said, “Talia, could you please escort him out?”
Talia obliged. She came forward and said to Carl, “Mr. Bryant, this way, please.”
Carl’s face darkened at this treatment. “Mr. Jones asked me to bring you back.”
“Oh, so you know that Mr. Jones sent you?” Ashlyn said with a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Carl was embarrassed at Ashlyn’s words, his face turning scarlet. He had been working for Nathaniel for a long time, and there were many people willing to oblige him and save his face. This was the first time that he had been humiliated like this. By Ashlyn no less, a person who the entire Jones family used to look down upon.
Carl’s expression hardened involuntarily. He made to berate Ashlyn for being ungrateful, but one glance at the desk before her brought him back to his senses.
Ashlyn was no longer the person she had been before. She was the daughter of Stevie, the richest man in Bluepond.
Carl seemed to want to say something, but Talia didn’t give him the chance to speak. “Mr. Bryant, I don’t think you want me to call the security guards, do you?”
Carl stilled at Talia’s words.
He glanced at Ashlyn, turned around, and walked out of her office, a sour expression on his face.
Carl was flustered as he made his way back. He hadn’t achieved what he had set out to do.
Before Carl had come to Ashlyn, Nathaniel had repeatedly told him to sincerely invite Ashlyn and bring her to the Jones family. But he had failed to do that and had even offended her without meaning to.
His expression worsened at the thought of this.
The car soon stopped in front of the Jones family’s residence. The driver looked around at him and said, “We’re here, Mr. Bryant.”
Carl looked out of the car window and said nothing. This was the first time he had made a mistake in all these years of working for Nathaniel.
It was also Ashlyn’s fault. The Jones family was used to pushing her around. And although he had never been the one to do that, he despised her as much as anyone else.
He had thought that there were many women in Courtbush who dreamed like Ashlyn did.
But he didn’t know what made Ashlyn so special or how she had gotten lucky, for of the thousands of women, only her dreams had come true.
Carl sighed, opened the door, and got out of the car.
He had made a mistake and had no choice but to own up to it.
Nathaniel had been taken to the hospital the previous night and returned home at eight that morning. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like something was wrong.
It was obvious that Ashlyn had caused whatever had happened this time. But after careful consideration, he discounted this thought because it didn’t bring her any substantial benefits.
Nathaniel was more than 80 years old, after all. It was possible that Raina and Arabella were behind this, he guessed.
They were scheming women. After Amor had passed away, Nathaniel allowed Arabella to remain as Mrs. Jones. This way, Amor would have a wife accompanying him after Arabella died in the future.
But agreeing to Raina marrying into the Jones family was beyond impossible for Nathaniel.
Now, he believed that Ashlyn and Gordon were a perfect match.
The more Nathaniel thought about it, the more he felt that their remarriage wouldn’t be that big a deal.
At this thought, he had sent Carl to extend an invitation to Ashlyn so that he could talk to her.
The sound of a car engine reached him. Nathaniel got to his feet from the old rocking chair, knowing that it was Carl.
It was not long before a knock sounded on the door of his study.
The Jones family had already become a laughing stock among the upper class. The only thing that could save their reputation was Ashlyn marrying into the family again.
“Come in,” Nathaniel said.
Carl pushed the door open and walked into the study. Nathaniel looked at him eagerly as he entered. “How did it go? Where is Ashlyn?”
Carl had worked for Nathaniel for more than twenty years. This was the first time that he had no idea how to answer Nathaniel’s question.
Nathaniel sighed at Carl’s silence and said, “I guess Ashlyn hates us.”
All Carl could reply was, “Sir, I did something wrong. Please punish me.”
Nathaniel waved his hand as he said, “I didn’t know what kind of a person Ashlyn was. But I’ve seen everything I needed to see in the past few months. She has a temper. She is Stevie’s daughter, after all. She did suffer a lot when she was part of our family. It’s natural for her to hate us. I knew she might not come.”
Carl froze for a moment before he recovered enough to say, “Mr. Jones, it’s my fault. My attitude was not good when I invited her.”
Nathaniel frowned. When he came to his senses, he was too angry to respond.
He gritted his teeth as his body trembled with anger.
“Please don’t be angry, Mr. Jones. You just came out of the hospital. It’s my fault. You can punish me as you like.”
Nathaniel cherished his health very much. He had fainted last night because of high blood pressure. He still remembered what the doctor had told him and wanted to live a few more years.
He closed his eyes for a while and then looked at Carl again. “Where is Gordon? Call him and ask him to come here. I need to talk to him!”
Carl would do anything Nathaniel asked him to, especially since he had made such a mistake. “I’ll do that immediately, sir.”
He then left the study, pulling out his phone to call Gordon as he went.
Gordon’s meeting had just finished when he spotted Lowell standing at the door, looking at him carefully, as if trying to gauge his mood.
Gordon’s expression darkened.
“Speak up. What’s wrong?”
“Carl just called. He says that your grandfather wants to meet you right now.”
Gordon glanced at Lowell before saying, “I see.”
He then walked past Lowell and into the elevator.
Gordon wasn’t surprised when Nathaniel sent for him. But what Nathaniel said surprised him greatly.
“You want me to marry Ashlyn again?”
“Raina is no good. Don’t tell me you are going to choose her over Ashlyn,” Nathaniel said angrily.
Gordon didn’t want to marry Raina. But Ashlyn was not an option either!
After all the drama that had transpired between him and Ashlyn, Gordon thought it unwise to go back to her. “I will not marry Ashlyn.”
Nathaniel growled. “How dare you! Are you blind? Can’t you see that Ashlyn still loves you? This is the only reason for her angry outbursts. Tender a sincere apology to her and say things that she would love to hear. Maybe coupled with Denise’s apology, Ashlyn will forgive us.”
Gordon said nothing. He knew that Nathaniel wouldn’t hear him out no matter what he said. Gordon had always known his grandfather to be a very stubborn man.
“Are you deaf?” Nathaniel demanded, lifting his walking stick and bringing it down on Gordon’s thigh. “Do you not hear me? Raina and her sister are both scheming women. No good will come out of marrying Raina. Ashlyn, on the other hand, is from an influential background. She is more than enough for you, and most importantly, still loves you. This is why she will readily accept a sincere apology from you and marry you again.”
“I will think about everything you have said. I have a lunch appointment. I won’t be able to have lunch with you.”
After saying that, Gordon left. Nathaniel called after him several times, but he acted as if he didn’t hear it.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.