19 Ashley Heirs

Christian made roasted pumpkin, eggplant humus and sumac brekkie bowl for breakfast the following morning before going to knock on Diane's door.

After what happened between them yesterday, Diane was ashamed and didn't want to see Christian, so she deliberately stayed back in the bedroom for a while before stepping out only to see him sitting at the dining table with his food untouched.

He was waiting for her and that made her wonder why he would do that.

Couldn't he tell that she was trying to avoid him at all cost?

The next moment, Diane found herself sitting in her usual position and murmured a word of greeting to Christian who didn't care about the ideas running wild in her mind.

"Start from the fruits," he advised as his gaze strayed to the platter of fruit at the centre of the table. He had personally washed and cut the fruits after making breakfast and wanted her to have them as appetizers before the main dish.

Diane cleared her throat and used the serving thongs to put some cuts of red watermelons, green apples and pineapples on her plate.

A heavy silence descended upon them as they had their breakfast. It was only after they had finished eating that Christian paid mind to her.

He picked up their dirty dishes and went to the kitchen sink with them.

Diane got up from her seat and quickly followed him as her confidence recovered. "I can actually do my dishes you know," she protested as she watched him from the side. She sounded slightly annoyed as she felt he looked down on her.

Christian gave her a side glance and returned his focus to the plates as he washed them. "You have never had to do any chores since you were born, and don't hate me for being afraid that the plates will slip from your hands and shatter."

Diane didn't feel that bad. She was aware that Christian had always thought of her as a spoiled rich kid who didn't know what suffering was, and he wasn't wrong in a way.

Although she has never had to do any physical labour aside from her career, she has gone through a lot of emotional and mental stress in the past, but he doesn't have to know that.

"I think you should give some thought towards seeing a psychologist," Christian suddenly suggested out of the blue.

After thinking about it all night, he just couldn't sit still and had to tell her since he felt her problem was serious.

"Why?" Diane inquired as his words echoed in her ears. She was wondering which part of her had a connection with visiting a psychologist and was genuinely confused.

"As nasty and uncomfortable as this may sound, I want you to understand my point." Christian dried his hands and spun to face her. "Yesterday, your body resisted me at first but seemed to accept me after a second trial and I noticed you became free as a bird

Diane frowned. She felt exposed and she didn't like where this subject was going. And as if she wasn't already upset, she heard him ask cautiously, "Do you resist your husband any time he wants to make love to you?"

Christian knew he stepped out of line, but he didn't mind being seen in that light if it would help her think deeply about her sexual problem.

If he could actually see something wrong with her, he would not hesitate to point it out.

Immediately, something shifted in Diane's eyes. "Why wouldn't I want to have sex with my husband when we are legally married?" She denied his guess.

"But we aren't married yet your body and your mind welcomed me last night," he countered her response in a clear tone without moving his gaze away.

He wasn't teasing her rather, he was trying to make her see a fact here unfortunately, the conversation could not continue as they were both disrupted by incoming calls from their phones.

How ironical.

Christian fished for his phone in his pants pocket and excused himself, leaving Diane in the kitchen.

"Hi, Ashley!" Diane watched as Christian accepted his incoming call and left her side. She remembered that name, she had heard it somewhere but she couldn't pinpoint exactly where.

Averting her gaze to her phone screen she swiped right to answer her father's call whilst releasing a soft sigh of relief; grateful it wasn't her mother.

"Good morning, Dad," she greeted as she crossed an arm below her breasts.

"Hello, Dear! How are you doing today?" Dr. Smith inquired in his usual friendly tone.

"I'm fine, Dad. How about you and Mum?" Diane chose not to remember how cruel her mother was to her a few days back and inquired about her.

"We are good, just finished having breakfast and the new tea recipe she forced on me," Dr, Smith chuckled. "How is your schedule today? Do you have any surgeries?" he inquired.

"No." Now, Diane was starting to worry about her father's little questions. There was either something important he wanted to tell or something he wanted to ask of her. Whichever one it might be, she hoped it was something doable. "I have a day off today," she added, her fear not going away.

There was a brief silence followed by hushed voices in the background before Dr. Smith's voice came up again. "Your mother and I arranged a meeting with the Sanders at our home for this evening. Your presence is highly needed as we will be talking about the things that concern you and Phillip."

That name 'Phillip' caused Diane to cringe and bitterness, surge in the pit of her belly. Just by hearing that name, she was reminded of every bad thing she had gone through his hands including the recent one of locking her out of their house.

As much as Diane couldn't resist thinking of confronting Phillip when she saw him, she was hoping that no one was going to manipulate her into withdrawing her divorce.

"I will be there." She accepted her father's invitation. It's not like she could say 'no' because if she did, her mother's call would be the next incoming one, and she would do anything not to deal with that.

"Dear, see you by 4 PM," Dr. Smith said before ending the call, leading Diane to puff out a sigh. Her day was going to be a long one.

On the other hand, Christian was still on call with Ashley talking about something important.

"I will advise him not to buy them out. It might be a trap," he advised.

"The chairman might be my father, but I absolutely have no idea of what's going on in his mind," Ashley replied. "The expansion he is looking for in that field doesn't sit well with me. Anyways, I will be dropping by your office today, what do you say about having lunch together?"

Christian thought for a moment before asking, "That's fine by me. Would you like it to be at the hotel or in a fancy restaurant so I can make a reservation?"

"The hotel is fine," the smile in Ashley's voice was evident. "I don't want my dad to scold me for stealing your time. You know, he likes money more than me," she teased.