Chapter 51
Maybe it was my guilty conscience, but I stiffened. Sensing it, Ashton grew more cautious.
After listening to the recording of him and Rebecca, a quiet resistance had built within me.
He turned toward me, but…
After a long while, he got out of bed and changed into his pajamas. He walked to the balcony, standing there in silence as he lit a cigarette.
Lying in bed, an unsettling feeling crept into my heart.
Unable to shake it off, I followed him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I pressed my cheek against his back. “Let’s go back to the bathroom and try again.”
I felt his body tense. He stubbed out his cigarette and turned to face me. His voice was edged with hostility. “When did it start?”
I hesitated. Was he asking when I had started resisting him?
Lowering my gaze, I bit my lip and muttered, “Maybe after the miscarriage…”
His relationship with Rebecca had always been like a knife lodged in my heart. No matter how much time passed, the wound never healed—only festered.
Ashton studied me for a long moment before stepping past me. “I’ll wait in the study.”
Instinctively, I grabbed his arm. “Did you buy over Macy’s bar for Rebecca? Macy was framed. Can you help me?”
I knew this would anger him. I hadn’t given him what he wanted, and now I was asking for a favor. But I couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
His sharp gaze locked onto mine, his expression unreadable. Then he let out a cold chuckle. “Is that why you came back?”
Panic rose in me. I shook my head quickly. “No, I—”
“You thought you could use your body to persuade me? Is that why you let me do whatever I wanted?” He sneered. “Scarlett, don’t you even realize you’re no longer drawn to me?”
His words made my heart clench, but I couldn’t deny them.
Tears welled in my eyes as I met his gaze. “Ashton, you have Rebecca. You have friends. I have no one but Macy. Please… I beg you.”
He laughed bitterly. “No one but Macy? Scarlett, that’s a surprise.”
He was furious, and I had no way to calm him.
If there had been another way, I wouldn’t have asked him. But he was the only one who could help Macy now.
Clutching his hand, I lowered my head to avoid his piercing gaze. My voice trembled as I whispered, “Ashton, I have no choice but to ask you. I’m sorry.”
The room felt ice-cold. Dressed in only a thin layer of clothing, I shivered from the chill.
Ashton’s expression shifted as he watched my desperation. After a long pause, he sighed. His grip on my arm tightened. “Go to the bathroom.”
I blinked in confusion before realizing what he meant. Before I could react, he scooped me into his arms and carried me inside.
“Scarlett,” he murmured hoarsely.
I looked up at him, my eyes still damp with unshed tears. He lowered his head, covering my eyes with his palm.
I gasped. “Ashton, please be gentle.”
I was terrified something would happen to my baby.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen. My body stiffened, and my breath hitched. Panic surged through me as I stammered, “Ashton, stop. I… I’m bleeding.”
He froze. Lowering his gaze, he saw the blood pooling beneath me.
Pain surged through me, sharp and relentless. My fingers clutched at his arm as cold sweat drenched my forehead. I gasped, “Hurry… take me to the hospital!”
A dark shadow passed over Ashton’s face. He grabbed a towel, hastily wiping the water from my body before carrying me out.
He laid me on the bed and quickly pulled on his clothes. Then, he helped dress me before grabbing his phone to call Jared.
Gripping the hem of his shirt, I pleaded breathlessly, “There’s no time. Ashton, take me to the hospital now!”
“F***!” It was the first time I had ever heard him curse.
Without another word, he swept me into his arms and rushed outside. He drove recklessly, ignoring red lights, speeding through the streets. His face was grim, his jaw set in a hard line. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
When we arrived at the hospital, he carried me inside. A nurse rushed over with a wheelchair.
“What happened?” someone in the crowd asked anxiously.
Ashton shot me a cold look and demanded, “Scarlett, will you tell them, or should I?”
My heart pounded wildly. The pain in my abdomen was unbearable. Grabbing onto the nurse’s hand, I forced out, “I’m less than two months pregnant… and I’m showing signs of a miscarriage. Please… please save my baby.”
The nurse nodded reassuringly. “Don’t worry, we’ll take you to the operating room immediately.”
In the chaos, my consciousness began to fade.
Regret swelled within me. I had been careless. I had thought I’d be fine, just as I had been in previous hospital visits. But this time, it was different.