Sweet Flash Marriage with the Restrained Tycoon (Isabelle and Damien) novel Chapter 346

Chapter 346 Hidden Truths

If any of this got out and was discovered by the wrong people, the fallout would be enormous.

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Ryan had just taken over the family holdings, and Beatrice certainly wouldn’t tolerate her son messing around outside–not unless…

Unless she was with Wilbur.

But Ashley had rejected Wilbur that day, and he’d understood what she meant he hadn’t pushed it.

After they’d parted ways, Wilbur hadn’t reached out to her at all. He’d probably given up.

Besides, Ashley had no real family background to speak of. All she had was her father, and he was still serving time.

Thinking about this, her resentment toward Isabelle grew another degree deeper.

Ashley glanced over at Isabelle, who appeared to be listening intently to the opera recording.

She smirked inwardly. Who did Isabelle think she was, some refined society matron? Pretending to appreciate the opera like she had any taste–who even knew if she understood a word of it?

She took a sip from her water glass and followed the others in looking toward the gazebo. Her mind wasn’t on the music at all- instead, she was completely absorbed in thoughts about last night, mentally drafting how to handle whatever might come next.

She hadn’t slept a wink and hadn’t had a spare moment to prepare for today, which was why dark shadows still lingered under her

eyes.

Just as she snapped back to the present, Wilbur’s gaze happened to sweep across the three of them–it was impossible to tell exactly who he was looking at.

Her hands clenched abruptly, her fingertips pressing into her cup with enough force to leave marks, the skin around them turning pale.

Meeting Wilbur’s eyes made her nervous–after all, the baby she was carrying was his.

And they both knew that any path involving Damian was closed to her now. Their secret was out, even if it hadn’t yet become public knowledge.

Once it did go public, Ashley would be utterly humiliated.

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Her heart began to race, her hands and feet turning icy. The truth coming out felt like it was only a matter of time.

Isabelle and Damian were trying to wear her down, and right now, she had no idea how to push back.

“Ms. Debose, are you feeling all right?” Kylie whispered beside her.

“Y–yes, I’m fine,” Ashley replied hastily, trying to steady her thoughts.

Isabelle glanced briefly in her direction, then looked away, not seeming particularly surprised by her reaction.

Seeing Isabelle’s dismissive attitude toward Ashley, Kylie couldn’t help but question the world–renowned designer’s character. Clearly, talent and manners were two entirely separate things.

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12:38 pm

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Chapter 346 Hidden Truths

“Excuse me, could you point me toward the restroom?” Ashley asked softly of a staff member nearby.

The attendant gestured down a hallway.

Ashley stood, picked up her clutch, and made her way toward it.

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Before she reached the door, she spotted Wilbur in the corridor just around the corner—he’d apparently just finished a phone call.

Ashley intended to take another route to avoid him, but Wilbur stepped forward and caught her wrist.

“You could have just said hello to me,” Wilbur said, referring to the matter of the design commission.

“That wasn’t necessary,” Ashley said, pulling her hand back.

“I heard about what happened last night.”

Ashley understood that Wilbur wasn’t just telling her he knew about the fire–he also knew Damian and Isabelle were planning to make things difficult for her.

The kind of person Damian was, Wilbur had learned all about when he joined the company. Besides, in their circles, Damian was a well–known figure.

What Damian was capable of, everyone understood without it having to be said.

He hadn’t relied on his parents or the family business. Years ago, he’d built his own empire from the ground up, even from a wheelchair–everyone had heard the stories.

Trying to outmaneuver him? Probably only Isabelle in the entire world had the nerve.

“Are you here to laugh at me, too?” Ashley frowned.

She knew what Wilbur was like–he wasn’t the type to kick someone when they were down—but she didn’t want him getting tangled up in her mess because of her.

It seemed like, in her heart, there was only room for Damian. No one else sparked any real interest. Her words almost felt like she was mocking him, mocking how his quiet devotion meant nothing to her.

Wilbur slowly withdrew his hand. “If you need help, remember you can come to me.”

He might not have been the right partner, but he’d probably be a decent father.

Ashley watched his retreating back, a tangled mess of emotions tightening in her chest.

Every time she went for & prenatal checkup, Wilbur would secretly follow and wait nearby. She wasn’t blind–of course she’d noticed.

Ashley had thought about terminating the pregnancy, but… this baby felt like the only family she had left in the world. She couldn’t bring herself to give it up.

For a moment, she rested a hand gently on her lower abdomen, then continued on to the restroom.

Around the corner, Beatrice, who had been standing there for who knows how long, felt as though her feet were rooted to the floor

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