CEO's Contract Obsession-Chapter 304: I Need Proof

"What’s going on?" Ava asked briskly as Ash hopped into the car. She had been engrossed in playing games on her phone while sitting inside the car when she noticed Ash storming out of the restaurant, looking very angry.

"That dumb blonde completely wasted my time," Ash vented, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt cuffs.

"Take a deep breath and let’s get out of here for now. We don’t want Vanessa to see us here," Ava blurted out, stepping on the gas and driving away.

Once they had put some distance between themselves and the restaurant, Ava pulled over to the side of the service road to inquire about what happened. However, when she looked at Ash, he seemed defeated, resting his elbow on the car window sill with his hand supporting his head.

Sensing that there might be more to the story, Ava decided to drive them home so Ash could rest. She chose not to press for further details, thinking it would be better to wait until he was ready to share what had happened willingly, rather than forcing him to talk when he wasn’t prepared.

Upon arriving at the building parking lot, Ash appeared lost, seemingly unaware that they had already arrived. Ava walked to his side, opened the car door for him, and only then did he notice her presence.

Worriedly, Ava asked, "Hon, are you okay?"

Ash smiled at her, nodding before stepping out of the car. Together, they headed towards the elevator. Throughout the ride to his penthouse, Ash remained silent. However, as soon as they entered, Beethoven, his enthusiastic and excited pup, warmly welcomed them.

In a remarkable transformation, Ash’s demeanor changed completely upon seeing Beethoven. He crouched down, allowing Beethoven to shower him with affectionate licks and hugs. Genuine happiness emanated from Ash as he smiled from ear to ear, speaking to the pup in a high-pitched voice, further fueling Beethoven’s excitement.

Ava couldn’t help but smile, witnessing how a little puppy could bring so much joy to someone who had been feeling down and gloomy. She patted Ash’s shoulder before heading to the kitchen to prepare some dinner. Given the amount of time Ash had spent at the restaurant, she was certain he hadn’t eaten anything at all.

Shortly after, Ash joined Ava in the kitchen, arranging plates and utensils on the kitchen island. As Ava cooked mixed fried rice and added some leftover meat from the previous day, the atmosphere lightened.

Finally, Ash began narrating the events of the day in a highly detailed manner. Ava struggled to hold back laughter as Ash even attempted to imitate Vanessa’s pitch, intonation, and mannerisms in his storytelling.

However, the story Ash shared left Ava dumbfounded. She could hardly believe how Vanessa perceived emotions, as if feelings were merely something that could be easily changed on a whim.

"Thus, you can understand why I don’t believe Vanessa could be involved with the mastermind. Her brain simply lacks the intelligence to come up with such coordinated plans. Her ideas are just plain stupid, and it’s almost embarrassing for her," Ash explained, shaking his head.

Ava couldn’t resist asking, "Is that why you seemed lost earlier?"

Before, Ash had omitted the part where Vanessa mentioned the gossipmonger who supposedly informed her about his plans. However, Ava was so perceptive that he couldn’t keep it hidden any longer.

With a sigh, Ash recounted what Vanessa had told him. "According to her, there’s someone within the company spying on me. I had discreetly discussed with some high-ranking officers about finding a way to terminate the contract with San Francisco Petroleum Corp early, without incurring excessive fines. I believed they were on my side, but apparently, that’s not the case.

The information reached Vanessa, and I suspect she’s not the only one who heard about it. It seems that the person spreading the news is specifically targeting me, likely to hinder my chances of getting promoted to the position of the next CEO. And now, I’m not so certain I’ll even be able to become one. On top of that, I turned down Amy’s proposal, my father and I had a fight and he is suddenly refusing to get out of Dimitri’s leash."

Ava’s eyes widened at Ash and exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot! Thankfully, you reminded me. Rei asked me to arrange a meeting for you and Henry. He has a proposal regarding funding for your startup. When are you available? It will be a video call since they are looking after the kids at the moment."

Confused, Ash frowned and raised one of his eyebrows. "Funding? Startup? I don’t understand, Hon," Ash inquired, utterly perplexed.

Seated beside Ash, Ava served some mixed fried rice onto his plate. "Henry wants to offer funding in case you decide to establish your own refinery. Amy is willing to lend the land they won’t be using, which means you won’t have to build pipes, reducing the initial cost required to start your own refinery."

Ash’s jaw dropped upon hearing this unexpected proposal. He had never even considered such an idea because his primary goal was to secure the CEO position in Brighton Industries, being the sole heir set to inherit the company.

"Hmm... I haven’t considered that before, but now that I find myself in this situation, I must admit I kind of like the sound of it. Anytime next week works for me. Should I start drafting a business plan then?" Ash beamed, eliciting a laugh from Ava.

The once gloomy Ash had transformed into a joyful figure by the time they finished their dinner. Ava was pleased that he embraced the idea with an open mind and didn’t immediately reject it. She knew starting from scratch would be challenging for him, but with Amy as a supplier, it could be a promising start.

Ava was confident that Ash could easily convince the clients he brought to Brighton Industries to switch to his new company. She firmly believed in Ash’s capabilities, and she pledged to be by his side to support him if he needed help.

"Hon, it’s getting late. Why don’t you stay here tonight?" Ash suggested after they had tidied up after dinner.

Ava smiled warmly at Ash’s suggestion. "Sure, I can stay here tonight," she replied, appreciating the opportunity to spend more time with him. They both made their way to the living room, where they settled down on the comfortable couch. Beethoven, their ever-enthusiastic pup, curled up at their feet.

As they relaxed together, Ava couldn’t help but think about how their lives had taken an unexpected turn. The possibility of Ash starting his own refinery business was something she had never imagined. However, seeing his enthusiasm and excitement, she knew it was the right decision for him.

"Are you nervous about the meeting with Henry?" Ava asked, genuinely curious about Ash’s feelings on the matter.

Ash nodded thoughtfully. "A little, but I’m also excited. It’s like a whole new opportunity has opened up before me," he admitted a mix of eagerness and apprehension in his eyes. "It will be my own company, I don’t have to compete with anyone just to secure my position," he added.

"You’ve got this," Ava reassured him, gently squeezing his hand. "You’re intelligent, hardworking, and determined. With your experience in the industry and your passion, I have no doubt you’ll make it successful."

Ash smiled gratefully, feeling comforted by Ava’s support. "Thank you for believing in me, even when I didn’t see this possibility myself," he said sincerely.

"That’s what partners are for," Ava replied, her heart swelling with affection. "We’re in this together, and I’ll always be here to support you, no matter what."

"Uhm, Ash, about your suggestion that we move in together, I have been thinking about it and I think I will agree with you. Does your offer still stand?" Ava nervously asked.

Ash paused a bit before saying, "Yes, but don’t give up your apartment yet. Now that I am considering Henry’s offer, I am thinking of selling this penthouse. Starting a refinery is not a small business and I’ll be needing a huge amount for that. Even with Henry’s investment, I would still need a lot. So if that happens, I think I should be the one asking you if I can move in with you?"

Ava chuckled, "Is that a real question? Coz you know I won’t say no to that, right?"

Ash scoffed playfully, "You should play hard to get sometimes, Hon. You are making that you like me so much."

Ava laughed and said, "But I do like you so much."

"Really? I need proof," Ash jested.

Ava swiftly straddled Ash and pulled his collar with both hands. And gave him a passionate short kiss. She licked his lips before sucking them one by one. "Is this proof enough?"

Ash smirked as he stare at her face, he had previously set the lighting of the room to warm light making her eyes hidden in the shadows of her hair.

His hands that were resting on her legs moved up until they reached her hips before uttering, "I think I need more."

Ava smiled before stooping down to seal their lips once more.