Ashton’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? The video is already out?”


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    Briar nodded. “That’s right. You must have guessed that if I could hire a top–tier mercenary like Ian to help, there must be someone else backing me…”


    Ashton gritted his mrs, slung Briar over his shoulder, and they both fell into the nkets. “Babe, I think we need to talk about your other incredible identities.”


    Briar was pinned under Ashton, unable to move. He had already grabbed her hands and held them above her head, making it impossible for her to break free.


    Briar asked, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. What incredible identity could I possibly have?


    Her string of three questions was a perfect performance of pure innocence, with her main strategy being to deny everything.


    Briar couldn’t possibly admit it.


    This was her ultimate trump card among all her secret identities. It couldn’t be revealed so easily; otherwise, how could she continue to run around the world causing trouble?


    Ashton looked down at the guilty–faced girl beneath him. “Babe, you’d bettere clean right now, or else…”


    Instantly, a mix of shame, shock, and panic exploded in Briar’s mind. Startled by his threat, she cried, “Ashton, let me go…”


    “Are you going to talk or not? Hmm?” Ashton wasn’t about to let her go so easily.


    His grip on her waist didn’t loosen, and with Briarpletely under his control, her face instantly flushed red. She stammered, “Ashton… D… don’t do anything reckless…”


    Ashton’s gaze deepened. Noticing her hesitation, he lowered his head until their foreheads touched and coaxed her softly, “My love, who am I to you?”


    Briar stammered, “M… my boyfriend!”


    Ashton frowned, clearly dissatisfied with her half–hearted answer. “Just boyfriend?


    Briar’s eyes widened slightly as she let out a mortified whimper. “Oh… Don’t…”


    Ashton looked down at the girl beneath him with satisfaction, his eyes soft and shimmering. “Babe, I’ll give you one more chance. Think it over, and then tell me who am I to you?”


    From getting to know each other to falling in love, their rtionship had progressed from holding hands and hugging to kissing and exploring each other…


    They had done <b>it </b>all, both what was proper and what was not, stopping just short of going all the way.


    12:54 Sat, <b>Sep </b><b>20 </b>


    :


    In his heart, Ashton had long considered Briar his future wife.


    He thought angrily, ‘So, what was her answer? Boyfriend? Just a boyfriend… is that all?‘


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    35 vouchers


    If he wasn’t afraid of scaring Briar by aggressively demanding a title, Ashton would have had a serious talk with her about this important issue right then and there.


    “Then what answer are you looking for?” For some reason, the seriousness and anticipation in Ashton’s eyes took Briar by surprise. She suddenly didn’t dare to give him the answer.


    ‘So, am I already that important in Ashton’s heart?‘ she thought.


    Ashton sighed and kissed Briar’s lips with a mix of helplessness and affection, not letting her go until she was breathless. “Darling, haven’t I made my intentions clear enough?”


    Ashton knew the young woman was insecure. That’s why, once he was sure that Briar was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he started calling her “darling” in addition to other terms of endearment.


    She was Ashton’s future wife!


    But all this time, Briar had never called him anything more intimate than “Ashton.”


    Even in their most intimate and unguarded moments, Briar only called him Ashton, never “honey or husband.”


    He had been wrong.


    To give his wife the ultimate sense of security, he had to do more than just unt his immense wealth. He had to y his trump card: a priceless, legal certificate that lets her live without a care in the world—a marriage certificate.


    Although getting married at 18 was a bit early, and while it wa not allowed in this country, that didn’t mean it couldn’t be done abroad.


    As it happened, the border region where they were now was not too far from Qathana.


    Darling thought, ‘Should I first gather all my assets and go with her to meet her two uncles?


    ‘Or, should I first have all my assets inventoried, get a prenuptial agreement, and transfer everything to Briar?


    ‘Or, what if I tricked her into marrying me first<b>, </b>and then went to see her two uncles with the utmost sincerity? No, that won’t work. Maybe<i>… </i>


    She had no idea that in the few short seconds of her hesitation, Ashton had alreadye up with hundreds, if not thousands, of schemes to trick her into marriage.


    Seeing Ashton’s expression grow improper, even lecherous, Briar tilted her head back and bit his chin, forcing him to snap out of it.


    “Ashton, what are you plotting?” she asked, both wary and nervous.


    12:54 <b>Sat</b><b>, </b>Sep 20


    She was helpless. Pinned beneath him, she had no choice but to yield.


    She couldn’t win in a fight.


    If she argued, she would just be kissed by force again.


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    At this moment, Briar felt a mix of love and hate for Ashton, terrified that on a whim, he would devour herpletely.


    Feeling guilty toward Ashton, she thought that if he truly wanted to devour her, she had no choice but to let


    him.


    “Sweetheart, can’t you tell what wicked things I’m thinking?” Ashton shamelessly pressed his advantage.


    Briar blushed and cursed inwardly, “Shameless! You only know how to bully me. If you have any guts, let me go and we’ll fight one–on–one!”


    Ashton smirked. “A one–on–one fight? Where? In bed, or out of it?”


    “Ashton, have some shame! I’m warning you, don’t think you can just seduce me with your looks and get away with anything. I’m telling you, I have my…”


    Before Briar could finish speaking, Ashton lowered his head and kissed her fiercely.


    C


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