Noting how Ashton's expression had softened after my explanation, I placed the items on the coffee table. The air between us felt less tense, though his presence still carried that quiet pressure he always had, the kind that made people straighten without thinking.
"To you, these might look cheap and ugly. But to me, they're part of my past. They show how stubborn and determined I was back then."
He held my gaze for a long moment. Something unreadable passed through his eyes, subtle but deep, like shifting layers beneath still water. Then he said, steady and certain, "Next time, just tell me what you want. If you want it, I'll give it to you."
For a second, the seriousness in his tone almost made me laugh.
Is he always this extreme?
Before I could respond, Joseph arrived with several people following behind him. They entered the villa in an orderly line, each carrying finely crafted boxes. Their steps were quiet, controlled, trained like they were used to moving under pressure.
