Chapter 648
Chapter 648:
Ashton noticed her lingering irritation and attempted a reassuring smile. “Listen, I realize you’re upset about the situation earlier, but I was merely leveraging my poker skills to trap Antoni. I led him into our snare step by step.”
Upon hearing Ashton’s explanation, Alisha’s disappointment seemed to grow.
Her voice tinged with sadness, she replied, “And what of it? Am I nothing more than a pawn to you, like Antoni? Do you see me just as bait? It’s hard to believe I trusted you so deeply, only to find myself manipulated in your scheme. You’ve truly disappointed me.”
Ashton faced Alisha’s displeasure with a grave expression and said, “My intention was only to expose you to the realities of such dangerous places. You completely ignored my earlier cautions, didn’t you? I wanted you to see the risks yourself. Had I not been there by chance, without any experience, you could easily have been exploited as their plaything. You might not have even noticed their deceit!”
Alisha lowered her gaze, her expression somewhat dejected. “So, in your eyes, I’m just that useless? I really hate being treated as a tool.”
Seeing Alisha’s dejection, Ashton felt a pang of discomfort. After all, this girl had once risked her life to save him.
After a moment of silence, Ashton took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gently embraced Alisha.
He said, “I’m sorry if my actions were thoughtless and I didn’t consider your feelings. But please believe me, I never saw you as a tool, nor did I intend to make use of you.”
“I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me, and I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s why I want to protect you while I’m still by your side, to show you the world’s dark side.”
When she heard Ashton’s apology, Alisha’s body relaxed slightly, though she remained silent and motionless. It was unclear how much time had passed before Alisha finally looked up at Ashton, still with a hint of resentment in her eyes, and said, “No matter what, you hurt my feelings earlier. If you want me to forgive you, you’ll have to agree to one request.”
Ashton sighed and reluctantly agreed, “As long as it’s not something unreasonable, I’ll do my best to satisfy you.”
“That’s more like it. I’ll reluctantly forgive you for now. I haven’t decided what request to make, but I’ll tell you when I do.” Alisha suddenly smiled, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
Then Alisha broke free from Ashton’s embrace, happily humming a tune as she turned and left.
Ashton stood there, stunned for a moment, before finally realizing that she wasn’t really mad at all. He had been completely fooled by her!
After making sure that Alisha got in her car safely and drove away, Ashton took a final glance around the dimly lit casino and also left.
Soon, Ashton arrived at his quarters in the Carter family manor with the poisonous pill given by Red Jack. He entered his study, carefully set the green pill containing the insect egg on his desk, and prepared to start his research.
After briefly dissecting the poisonous insect egg, he discovered that the toxic components inside were not from the insect itself but seemed to be a synthetic toxin refined by a special method.
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