<b>Chapter </b><b>31 </b>


    Actually, all hotels under the Wade family name had private suites exclusively for Ashton.


    But even with those, Ashton still couldn’t sleep well. If he couldn’t rest properly in familiar surroundings, switching to a different bed only


    made it worse.


    So far, not a single one of those private suites had ever actually been used by the Wade family.


    Ashton took Briar straight up to the presidential suite via a private elevator. Morton was already waiting at the door.


    The hotel manager had personally led the staff to scent every room with a calming fragrance designed to ease guests‘ emotions.


    The soothing scent lingered as soon as they got close.


    Briar followed Ashton inside. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, her phone rang.


    Ashton nodded toward her, signaling her to take the call. He sat down on the couch, clearly not in a hurry to leave.


    Briar walked a few steps away and picked up. It was Tristan calling. It was daytime where he was, and the old man sounded fired up.


    She didn’t dare chat for long, worried Ashton might overhear something and cause trouble.


    “I can’t talk right now. Just text me if it’s urgent,” Briar whispered, trying to calm down whatever storm the old man was raging about this


    time.


    Brandon: ‘Seriously? It’s the middle of the night, and these two aren’t talking or sleeping? Just sitting next to each other texting other people?‘


    Morton could’ve smacked his forehead. He muttered, ‘This’s such a good opportunity, and Mr. Wade isn’t even trying to take advantage of it.‘


    Still, since Ashton wasn’t saying anything, Brandon and Morton could only keep guarding the door and wait quietly.


    Inside the suite, everything was still. The soft scent of the hotel’s custom aromatherapy lingered in the air, mixed with the faint fragrance of the girl beside him.


    Ashton was replying to a message from Reece, telling him something hade up and he wouldn’t be joining him. Then he nced sideways at Briar, who waspletely focused on texting.


    Maybe it was the first time Ashton shared a room with a girlte at night. Or maybe it was just something about Briar.


    But the mood felt calm and warm, and for some reason, a strange peace settled over Ashton. He kept staring, slowly zoning out.


    Tristan was relentless. Apparently, he’d been arguing with Georgiana and George again and needed someone toin to.


    When Tristan finally finished venting, more than twenty minutes had passed.


    Briar put down her phone. “Mr. Wade, sor-” She turned her head and froze when she saw Brandon and Morton frantically waving their hands, silently mouthing at her <i>not </i>to speak/


    Following the direction of their wild gestures, Briar looked over–and saw Ashton, head tilted to the side, fast asleep on the couch.


    She blinked. That’s when she noticed the dark circles under Ashton’s eyes were worse than before.


    ‘Those aren’t just from work… Has this guy not been sleeping at all?‘ Briar thought.


    Briar caught the crushed expressions on Brandon and Morton’s faces. Feeling a little guilty, she reached out and gently cupped Ashton’s ears


    with both hands.


    “It’s nothing. You can keep sleeping. Shhh. Good boy. Sleep, okay?” Her voice was soft, coaxing–like she was talking to a toddler,


    Brandon covered his face. ‘He’s not a kid. There’s no way that he falls asleep again.‘


    But the next second, something unbelievable happened again.


    Ashton had opened his eyes. Then he saw Briar’s face just inches away. Under her soft coaxing, he closed his eyes again–and actually fell


    back asleep.


    The whole thing was seamless. Ashton didn’t even change his breathing. It was like being soothed by Briar was the most natural thing in the


    world.


    Morton’s jaw almost hit the floor. ‘What the hell? This actually works?‘


    Brandon waspletely speechless. He thought, ‘Mr. Knight has been trying to treat Mr. Wade for years and never gets this far.


    ‘And now, Ms. Jennings says one sentence and gets better results?


    ‘If Mr. Knigh finds out about this, he’s probably gonna cry himself to death in the bathroom.‘


    Briar hadn’t expected Ashton to be this obedient either. He really went back to sleep.


    She looked at the two stunned men by the door, and slowly pulled her hands away from Ashton’s ears.


    Then Briar popped in her earbuds, opened her game, and kept ying like nothing happened.


    On the outside, Briar was calm as a mountain. On the inside, she wondered, ‘Okay, since when did I develop a magical luby touch?”