Save Myself from Desperation

Ashley had just run to the balcony before the call was connected when she saw Valentin following her. She subconsciously waved her hand at him. “Go back to your room first. I’ll answer the phone.”

Valentin did not go back to the room, nor did he continue to walk forward. He leaned against the balcony’s glass door and casually folded his arms. “Go ahead. | won't disturb you.”

He stood there with such a strong sense of presence, watching her answer the phone in person.

Ashley was at a loss for words for a while.

Thinking about it, she figured she wasn’t cheating on him and had nothing to avoid him.

She just felt a little weird.

Ashley turned her back and picked up the phone, holding it to her ear and even unconsciously lowering her voice. “Hello.”

Andrew, on the other end of the phone, was momentarily surprised when he heard the call go through and then smiled, “Tsk, | thought you would just hang up and ignore me. You actually answered the phone?”

“Why are you calling? Is there something wrong?” Ashley was not in the mood to talk nonsense with him and asked in a low voice.

“Baby, you have such a sneaky voice...” Andrew narrowed his charming eyes and smiled ambiguously, “Are you having an affair with me behind Valentin’s back?”

He asked in a good mood, “Are you willing to let me be your home

wrecker?”

Ashley was speechless.

She regretted answering his call.

Ashley took two deep breaths and said quickly, “I forgot about your birthday earlier...” There was a sudden silence on the other end of the line.

After about five or six seconds, Andrew’s dark and dangerous voice

09:04

sounded. “You finally remembered?”

Ashley rubbed her nose in embarrassment. “Why didn’t you remind me then? Would you die for slightly reminding me?” “Ashley, would it seem too pathetic of me to remind you of my birthday actively?” Ashley didn’t answer.

Andrew’s husky, gloomy voice rang through the phone receiver, hardly hearing any emotion. “It’s not the first time you’ve abandoned me.”

“Don't you talk nonsense!” Ashley was instantly agitated. “Abandon? | don’t have a special relationship with you. Don’t throw dirt on my head!”

After Ashley finished speaking, Valentin suddenly grabbed her wrist. She looked up to see Valentin approaching at some point.

There was a wooden wicker chair on the balcony.

Valentin sat down on it and pulled Ashley into his arms.

Ashley blinked in bewilderment, lifting her hand to cover the receiver of her cell phone, and whispered in confusion, “What are you doing?”

Valentin said frankly, “I’m afraid you'll get tired from standing and answering the phone.”

Ashley fell into silence, thinking that was a bad reason.

Ashley released her hand from covering the phone and asked And the other end, “Why are you calling today?” Andrew did not answer the question and asked slowly, “Ashley, who told me

‘Your birth is not a sin. I'll help you celebrate your birthdays from now on.”?”

Ashley fell silent.

“Baby, if you didn’t do what you promised me, shouldn’t you make it up

to me?”

Ashley thought, ‘Make it up?”

Frowning, Ashley was wrapped tightly around her waist by Valentin before she could say anything.

Then she heard Andrew say ”

wrecker.”

Ashley remained silent.

She thought. ‘He said that again!’Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

make it up to me for being your home

Ashley was sure that Valentin heard Andrew's words.

Valentin’s hand around her waist suddenly tightened, and then he lowered his head and came closer to her. The distance between the two was very close so that Ashley could feel his warm and ambiguous breath.

Ashley’s eyelashes trembled. She panicked and lowered her eyes, directly resisting Andrew on the other end of the line. “Can you stop being crazy? I’m in a proper marriage. My husband and | are in a good relationship! If you’re calling me for something as morally corrupt as being a home wrecker, I’m too busy to talk to you.”

She heard Andrew snort lowly.

Alow, husky snort came through the weak electrical current, indescribably paranoid. “Baby, I’ll go to Zyrrinthia after a while.” Ashley frowned suspiciously, thinking. What does it matter to me if he

comes or not?’

Without saying much, Ashley finished listening and hung up.

She raised her eyes to meet Valentin’s deep, quiet ones, like a deep al as if they were sucking one’s soul into them.

Ashley was currently sitting on Valentin’s lap. Being looked at by him such a way, Ashley moved closer to him actively before she could make any thinking and moved in his arms.

After realizing what she’d done, Ashley awkwardly raised a hand to touch her neck. “Well, that, just ignore what Andrew said. He hasn't been thinking right. Anyway, don’t take what he said seriously.”

Valentin gazed at her intently, his eyes dimmer than ever. “Ashley.” “Huh?” Ashley looked up.

Valentin caressed the side of her face. His throat rolled, and the voice that spilled from it was low and loving, stirring Ashley’s heart.

09:01

“| can give you whatever Andrew can give you and whatever Andrew can't.”

After

a pause, he continued, “Don’t be mesmerized by him, huh?”

Ashley was stunned. Her eyelashes fluttered twice quickly, her heart. pounding and her pretty eyes touching. “Of course, | won’t be mesmerized by him... | don’t like him...”

Valentin’s tensed nerves relaxed slightly at hearing her say she didn’t like Andrew.

Just now, Valentin listened to her and Andrew on the phone, listening to their unique past. In those pasts, she knew Andrew so well. Not only did she know Andrew’s obscure childhood and birthdays, but she had also firmly said to Andrew, “Your birth is not asin.”

Andrew had saved her, and she had saved Andrew.

Those pasts and bonds were something Valentin could never be a part of.

The jealousy and darkness in his heart broke through and grew wildly like a towering tree.

Because of his childish and despicable mind, he’d hugged Ashley while she was still on the phone with Andrew, as if that was the only way to break the bond between her and Andrew, to be closer to her, and to have a sense of presence around her.

“Ashley, how long have you and Andrew known each other?”

Ashley blinked and blurted out, “It hasn’t been that long! Unlike you, and | grew up together. | can’t even count how long | have known

you. Valentin looked at Ashley steadily in front of him.

Ashley suddenly lowered her eyelashes, raising her palm and gently placing it on Valentin’s heart.

She raised her eyes, which were beautiful like the stars in the sky.

“Valentin, | thought back carefully. Other than my grandparents’ figures, the only one | can think of is you.” They grew up together and spent all their youth together, like a family.

Even what Ashley once thought was a falling out was Valentin’s undeclared fondness.

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Just after she was cut off from the Ramos family and at her most painful and lonely times, he appeared to her and accepted her into his world, making her feel at home again.

Ashley winked playfully. “What should | do? | always feel like you're the only person I’ve been close to in the world since my grandparents died. If only | had known a few more friends when | was...”

Before she could finish speaking, Valentin couldn’t hold back any longer and took her into his arms with fondness and desperation.

All of a sudden, he smelled the faint and tender fragrance of Ashley. The dark emotions that had grown out of his possessiveness of her were gradually soothed.

“You're enough with just me,” Valentin said, hugging her. Ashley grunted lightly in arrogance and deliberately retorted to him, “Who wouldn't want to have more friends?” Valentin hugged her hard, the tip of his nose brushing against her soft earlobe. “Ashley...”

Valentin’s warm breath brushed against Ashley’s ear as he spoke. Stimulated, Ashley shivered softly and uncontrollably. “What are you doing?”

“Ashley, be with me...”

Ashley was startled suddenly and quietly grasped Valentin’s cloth uncontrollably eased her breathing. Immediately afterward, she heard Valentin’s magnetic voice slowly sounding indescribably

reverent and warm.

“Whether you like me or not, | will always love you and be nice to you.