“I’m sorry for coming all of a sudden.”
Koi smiled brightly with a face that clearly showed his fatigue.
“I thought I’d see you briefly on my way back from France. I won’t be here long.”
Ashley just looked at her son without saying anything. In fact, she had a lot to say, but he kept his mouth shut. This was because Koi had warned her several times before coming here.
“I’d be happy if this was the last time. Let’s trust Grayson one more time. Let’s just encourage him.”
She couldn’t ignore his earnest pleas. Maybe it was because she thought it was useless, but deep down, she was also expecting him to do the same.
“I’m glad I got to see you. You’re doing well. Has anything happened?”
“No, nothing. ......Can I get you some tea?”
The words behind her seemed reluctant. Ashley paused at that fact. Because he had always been harshly taught to speak and act according to the situation, his son had always said and done the same things. But what was this strange feeling? If it had been as he had been taught, Grayson should have readily smiled and offered.
But his smiling face was just like the one he had seen of his son. Koi shook his head, leaving Ashley behind, who was confused.
“No, I’ll be there soon. I brought you and Dane a present......”
“A present?”
Koi nodded to Grayson’s question and handed him one of the two boxes Ashley was holding.
“This is yours. Open it when you’re alone.”
Then he followed Grayson and asked.
“Dane? Hasn’t he come yet?”
“Ah......”
Again.
This time, Ashley could tell for sure that her son was reluctant.
... ... What was going on?
As they looked up with a slight shock, they suddenly heard a sharp whistle. Everyone looked up at the same time and saw a man leaning against the stair railing.
“Dane.”
When Koi called his name happily, Dane, who had been whistling with his thumb and index finger in his mouth, waved with his usual indifferent expression. And before anyone could stop him, Koi ran up the stairs and greeted him.
“It’s been a while. How have you been? I missed you!”
Ashley and Grayson looked up with displeased faces as Koi hugged Dane and Dane patted Koi on the back.
It can’t be helped. Ashley thought. Koi had had a huge crush on Dane since they first met. Even keeping it a secret from her.
Up until now, the only things Koi had kept secrets from Ashley were birthday presents or similar events. All of them were related to Ashley, so they would be revealed in a day or two, or were just trivial secrets of friends that he didn’t really need to know. So he wasn’t particularly offended or curious, but this time it was different.
At the time, he was very hurt, but he soon found out why.
Koi had confessed in the past that he felt a bond with Angel as soon as he met her. Judging from that, there was one reason he treated Dane Striker so openly.
It must be his personality.
Ashley concluded coolly. If you think about it that way, it makes sense. So even though it wasn’t very pleasant, he was going to just leave it alone... ... .
Suddenly, Grayson moved. He was puzzled as he saw his son hurriedly running up the stairs three or four at a time. He followed the movement, and in an instant, he saw him forcefully pushing himself between Dane and Koi.
“I’ll prepare tea, so why don’t you go to my room? Papa too!”
The latter part was obviously forced. Ashley was surprised once again. Oh my, she couldn't believe it. Her son was jealous.
"Ash!"
Ashley, who had been blankly looking up, came to her senses when she heard Koi calling her. Koi was waving and telling her to come up quickly. Only then did he come back to reality and walk up the stairs. Koi came down a few steps and took the gift Ashley had been holding and handed it to Dane.
"It's a gift. I hope you like it."
"Well, thank you."
Dane's answer was indifferent, but Koe still couldn't hide his joy. Grayson, who looked back and forth between the two, quickly spoke.
"Then you two, go to my room. It's over there. Dane, sleep well. See you tomorrow!"
Grayson quickly added a greeting and started walking ahead. Dane looked at his family moving away with a blank expression, then walked to his room with Koi's gift.
Ashley was still feeling dazed as she followed her son's lead to her room. What am I seeing right now?
They sat side by side at the tea table in his room and waited until Grayson came back after making tea. Koi asked Ashley, who was lost in thought, organizing what she had seen and felt.
"What are you thinking about?"
Ashley sighed and honestly confessed as she held his hand affectionately and asked.
"I was thinking about what Grayson said and did today."
Koi looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"Right? Something's different, right? Huh?"
Even that dull Koi noticed it.
At this point, she couldn't just be suspicious. Ashley nodded obediently.
"It might be Dane Striker's influence."
“Anyway, our kid is feeling something and reacting!”
Koi shouted, almost jumping for joy.
“Now you trust Grayson, right? Yes? You trust him and watch over him, like I said?”
“......That’s what I came here for.”
“Thank you, Ash.”
Koi added, calling his name in an excited voice.
“Let’s go back and think about what Grayson needs.”
Just as she smiled and kissed him, there was a knock on the door and Grayson opened it.
“Herbal tea. I thought you might be tired.”
Koi smiled brightly and greeted his son, who put down the teacup with a smile.
“Thank you, Grayson. You’re such a considerate kid.”
He always said that, knowing that it was just a mechanical behavior he had learned. Even after he almost died from eating the cake his son made, Koi accepted the food his children gave him without hesitation. But Ashley had to check first before eating.
This time, too, after Ashley had finished drinking herbal tea and put it down, he finally brought the teacup to his mouth. As the warm tea spread through his body, he felt his fatigue disappear. Feeling the corners of his mouth relax, he put the teacup down, and something suddenly occurred to him.
“Come to think of it, weren’t you using the room next door?”
When Koi realized that the room Grayson was currently using had changed, Grayson smiled and answered.
“Yes, I switched with Dane. That room had a much better view.”
“You compromised, that’s great.”
Koi quickly slapped Ashley’s foot under the table in admiration. Ashley opened her mouth with a blank expression.
“You were considerate of others. Good job.”
“You gave the best room to Dane, right?”
Grayson smiled brightly as Koi immediately interjected. Ashley blinked in surprise at his expression, which she had never seen before, and Grayson said.
“Instead, you can use this connected room. Look, you can meet Dane through this window. Just like Romeo and Juliet. Of course, Dane is Juliet.”
At that moment, Ashley stopped moving. The color drained from his face in an instant, but the two of them didn’t notice.
Only Bernice knew how much Ashley hated Romeo and Juliet. She was the only one who understood because she was the secretary of the previous generation. She had seen firsthand what the previous generation, Dominique, did to his ‘Juliet’.
But the others had no idea about that. Even though it was just a coincidence, Ashley felt her heart grow cold when the name came out of Grayson’s mouth.
“Ash?”
Koi, who noticed him frozen in place without saying anything, called his name in surprise. When he came ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) to his senses, Grayson and Koi were looking at Ashley. He quickly collected his expression and brought the teacup to his lips. Koi, not knowing what to say at his somewhat uncomfortable reaction, spoke.
“It’s a romantic story, but Grayson, Romeo and Juliet have sad endings. What if we changed them to a couple that ends happily?”
“Hmm.”
It sounded plausible. Grayson, who thought about it for a moment, quickly clicked his fingers together and made a sound.
“How about Catherine and Heathcliff?”
Koi fell into deep thought at his son’s suggestion.
“Well, I don’t think they were happy either.”
“That’s not true. After Catherine died, Heathcliff dug up the grave, right? That means they were lovers even after death.”
Grayson's shining eyes seemed even mad. When Koi looked back at Ashley in confusion, Ashley, who had returned to his usual self, nodded.
"That sounds good. Let's do Catherine and Heathcliff."
In fact, anyone but Juliet would have mattered. Having regained his composure, he emptied his remaining tea and spoke.
"It's late. I think it'd be better to go back."
"Oh, then I'll say hello to Dane. I have something to say..."
"Let's do that."
Ashley nodded at Koi's words. In fact, he had something to say to Grayson too. After Koi left the room, Ashley was left alone with Grayson. Suddenly, a cold silence descended.
