Chapter 20
Thomas and Eleanor were furious as they stared at Damien. They didn’t spare his feelings.
Thomas said, “Mr. Ashford, we are not the same. You’d best go back to being a rich heir. You can have as many women as you want with just a word. Once you’re tired of playing with them, just toss them aside. However, Celeste is not your toy, let alone your punching bag!”
Eleanor added, “Do you know how much pain and hardship our daughter has endured since marrying you? How could you throw her into prison? How many times have you bullied her? What did she ever do to deserve a heartless man like you?”
The more Thomas and Eleanor spoke, the more upset they got. They wiped their tears as they hit him.
Damien hung his head in guilt. He didn’t resist, letting them vent their anger freely.
Still, he couldn’t help but ask, “Then what about Chase? He’s also a rich man like me. Aren’t you afraid he might one day turn out the same?”
Before Thomas, Eleanor, or Celeste could answer, Chase spoke up
“Time will tell whether I turn out like you, but I firmly believe that day will never come.
“The day I got together with Celeste, I signed an agreement with her. If I ever betray her, all of my assets will be voluntarily handed over to her. Even if we break up, half of everything I earn from then on will automatically go to her.
“As long as Celeste has enough money, she’ll always have the power to stand up to me. If I do something wrong, she can punish me—there’s no need for her to endure anything.”
He continued, “I love her very much. And if one day she stops loving me, then she shouldn’t stay for my sake.”
The moment Chase said that, Damien stood frozen in place. Even Celeste was a little taken aback.
Damien hadn’t expected Chase to go to such lengths.
On the other hand, Celeste didn’t expect Chase to be this serious when he said he loved her.
At first, she thought of him as just another friend from Damien’s circle who was probably sent as revenge by deliberately confessing to her, then abandoning her. But Chase turned out to be nothing like that after she got to know him.
He had a cool, distant personality and kept others at arm’s length. Only when facing her did he become especially proactive.
Later, Celeste asked him, “Why are you being so nice to me? It’s totally out of character for you.”
He had only smiled bitterly and replied, “Because I don’t want to miss this chance. I’ve already missed you once before. If I lose you again this time, we might never have another chance. I want to cherish every opportunity I have with you and stay by your side without ever parting.”
Celeste was stunned when she heard those words. She didn’t even have the slightest recollection of him in her memories.
Chase told her he had seen her back in university and had fallen for her at first sight. They had run into each other many times, even exchanged glances on several occasions, but in her eyes, he had never existed.
On the day she first met Damien, Chase had been preparing a grand confession. However, he was soaked by the rain, wrecking his plans completely. He was about to fetch her with his umbrella in hand, but he was a step too late as Damien had beaten him to it.
Every subsequent moment played out like a soap opera. His luck was always bad, and he was always a step behind Damien, He never managed to appear before her on time.
When he finally did get a chance to speak to her, her attention was already completely drawn to Damien.
Later, once Damien had confessed to her 99 times, Chase could see she was moved, even though she hadn’t said yes. She merely lacked a little courage.
As such, Chase gave up. He loved her quietly, from a place she couldn’t see. That love was never meant to be spoken, and would never see the light of day.
It was why he always claimed he wasn’t interested in romance and focused solely on his research, devoting himself to his career.
There was no pressure from his family to carry on the bloodline. The Tully family had other sons. Besides Kevin, Chase also had a pair of younger fraternal twins. As such, no one pestered him.
