Chapter 543

Chapter 543:

With that, Ashton accepted the ceremonial knife from Rayden’s hand.

Luther stood off to the side, his face draining of color, particularly as he caught sight of Ashton’s beaming expression, which seemed to silently mock him without uttering a word. Rayden, on the other hand, radiated happiness, looking at Ashton as if he were his own flesh and blood.

Ashton, however, remained blissfully indifferent to Luther’s chagrin.

Now standing beside Rayden, Ashton took a moment to study the grand, opulent cake up close.

The earlier suggestion from Egan’s group had felt off to Ashton, prompting him to proceed with caution.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Egan and his cohorts lurking among the crowd, their faces twisted into satisfied smirks.

At that moment, Ashton became convinced that something was amiss with this cake.

With renewed scrutiny, he examined it, but its enormous size and shimmering layer of edible gold made it hard to detect any oddities.

Yet, just as his knife grazed the surface, he hesitated.

In that fleeting moment, a faint, almost elusive odor reached his nose. It lacked the cake’s sweet creaminess and instead exuded a cloying sweetness that brought to mind artificial sweeteners. The scent was nearly drowned out by the cake’s rich decorations and sugary frosting; anyone less discerning might have overlooked it. But Ashton’s acute senses picked up on the strange undertone.

While he couldn’t pinpoint the source of the peculiar smell, the combination of this unexpected detail and Egan’s suspicious antics planted a seed of doubt in Ashton’s mind.

Just as Rayden was about to plunge the knife into the cake, still glowing with delight, Ashton seized his wrist, halting him. “There’s something off about this cake. You shouldn’t cut it,” Ashton warned, his tone grave.

Find n3w chapt3rz at g𝓐l𝓷ovels.𝓬𝓸𝓶

Ashton’s words sent ripples through the crowd, stirring the guests into a hushed murmur.

Alisha, stationed across the room with her camera in hand, glanced over at Ashton, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Hey, Ashton, what nonsense are you spouting? It’s merely a cake. What’s all the fuss about?”

Ashton shook his head, choosing silence over a response. Instead, he focused intently, grappling with a memory that danced just out of reach—where had he smelled this particular scent before?

Sweet fragrances often blended into a symphony of familiarity, but this one lingered lightly in the air, making it elusive for Ashton to pinpoint.

Nearby, Luther, wearing a sulky expression, sensed an opportunity glimmering like gold.

Feigning outrage, he declared, “What do you mean by that? Rayden has invited you to cut the cake alongside him as a gesture of respect, giving you a moment to shine among the VIPs! Yet here you are, hesitating and keeping Rayden from slicing into the cake? It seems you’re just trying to steal the spotlight!”

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