Chapter 76
I stared at him in confusion as he approached, his face unreadable. “Ms. Stovall,” Joseph said, his voice cool and professional. “Mr. Fuller has left for the evening. He’s not available right now.”
My heart sank. “What do you mean? He hasn’t even said a word to me about leaving. Is he really avoiding me now?”
Joseph’s eyes flickered briefly, but he maintained his composed demeanor. “He has a lot of things to deal with, and I believe he prefers to handle his personal matters privately. I suggest you return home and try to reach him tomorrow.”
I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling up inside me. “This isn’t something that can wait until tomorrow. Do you really think I can just sit around and wait while everything around me is falling apart?”
Joseph’s expression softened for a split second, but it was gone before I could catch it. “I understand, Ms. Stovall. But sometimes, persistence isn’t always the answer. Let him have his space for now. He will come around.”
I shook my head, unable to accept his words. “I don’t know what’s going on between us, Joseph, but I need to talk to him. It’s important.”
“Perhaps,” Joseph said, offering me a small, almost imperceptible nod. “But the timing… it’s not right. Let him handle things in his own way. When he’s ready, he’ll reach out to you.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, feeling more helpless than ever. The silence of the parking lot seemed to mock me as I stood there, staring at Ashton’s empty Jeep. What was going on? Why was he acting like this?
I felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness settle over me. My mind raced, trying to piece everything together. Was Ashton truly upset with me? Or was there something else going on that I didn’t understand?
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, and I wasn’t going to get any answers unless I confronted him directly.
Taking a deep breath, I turned on my heels and walked out of the parking lot, determined to find a way to get through to Ashton. I didn’t know how, but I had to make him listen. If I didn’t, everything I feared would come crashing down around me, and I wasn’t sure I could survive it.
Back at home, I couldn’t bring myself to go inside right away. I sat in the car for a while, staring out at the city lights, wondering where things had gone wrong. The rumors, John’s return, Ashton’s coldness—it was all too much to bear.
Finally, I made up my mind. I needed to talk to Ashton, even if it meant facing whatever he was hiding from me.
The next morning, I got up early and headed straight to Fuller Corporation. I wasn’t going to wait around for him to come to me. I was going to make him face this, no matter how difficult it was. If I didn’t take control now, I’d lose him for good.
I stepped into the building, my resolve hardening with each step. This was my last chance to fix everything. I wasn’t going to let it slip away.