Chapter 3

Seeing how Claire stared at the table for a long time, Ashton couldn't bear to turn her down anymore. He wanted to leave as peacefully as possible without any conflicts or drama. His voice was soft as he said, "We should go to bed early. We have a photoshoot tomorrow, remember?" Nothing about his facial expression seemed off, so Claire didn't think much of it. The two of them lay facing opposite sides that night, each lost in their own thoughts. As they were heading out the next morning, Ashton silently dragged a trash bag behind him, planning to toss it in the dumpster downstairs. Claire took it from him without being asked, glancing at him with mild curiosity. "Why is it so heavy? What's in here?" she asked, reaching with one hand to fiddle with the opening, as if trying to peek inside. Instinctively, Ashton raised a hand and gently pressed down on her arm. "Just some useless stuff." The elevator arrived just then. The moment was interrupted, and Claire quickly lost interest. As Ashton watched her toss the bag into the bin without a second thought, he felt an unexpected lightness settle over him, like a weight had finally lifted. When they arrived at the photo studio, the staff led them over to pick out outfits for the shoot. As he looked at the rows of wedding dresses and tuxedos, Ashton was about to ask if there were any other outfit options when Claire suddenly stopped in front of a particular suit. "Ash, try this one. Didn't you say you love this style?" He paused, gaze falling on the suit. Two weeks ago, he had shown her a suit similar to the one she was holding now. If this had been before he discovered Curtis' existence, knowing she had remembered his preferences would've meant the world to him. Of course, he didn't feel that way anymore. Still, he didn't feel like choosing something else, so he went along with her suggestion. A few minutes later, a staff member fixed Ashton's hair while complimenting him, "Mr. Gill, you and your partner must be really in love. She picked the perfect suit for you! It's going to look amazing in the photos!" Before the staff member could finish his sentence, another staff member walked in cautiously. "Ms. Lawson said something urgent came up at work. So today, we'll just do a solo shoot for you. "In the meantime, she'll come back another day to finish the couple shoot…" The smile on the staffer's face was strained, and he deliberately kept a few steps away from Ashton, worried the man might lose his temper and take it out on him. After all, situations like that had happened at the studio before. To the staffer's surprise, Ashton simply nodded, accepting it all without a fuss—a little too calm. After the shoot, he took a cab home alone. Before he even stepped inside, he heard a man's hearty laughter coming from the living room. "Clairy, it's been years. I never thought I'd get to eat your home-cooked meals again." At the dining table, Claire casually placed a freshly peeled shrimp onto the plate of the man sitting across from her. She was about to say something when she suddenly turned and saw Ashton standing at the door. She froze for a moment before remembering to introduce him. "Ash, this is Curtis Miller. He's been going through some stuff lately, so he'll be staying with us for a few days." Sitting across from her, Curtis cast a barely noticeable glance at Ashton. He wore a smirk and said, "We finally meet, Clairy's boyfriend. She's mentioned you a couple of times. Anyway, I'll be a guest here for a while. "Look—Clairy also made my favorite garlic butter shrimp. Why don't you join us and have some?" With that, he stood and pulled out the chair opposite Claire, then slid over to sit beside her, fully taking on the role of the host. Initially, Ashton had thought this was a one-sided love. It turned out they were equally into each other. "You guys enjoy. I've had a long day, so I'll be in my room instead," he said, turning on his heels and retreating to his bedroom. However, when he saw what was behind the door, he froze on the spot.