Chapter 655

Chapter 655:

Alisha, who was in the middle of a cheerful conversation, froze when she saw her father standing in the doorway. Her heart did a little flip, and she quickly let go of Ashton, scrambling to come up with an explanation.

But Rayden just chuckled to himself, a knowing smile spreading across his face. “I didn’t see anything at all; you two just carry on,” he said, eyes twinkling with amusement.

With that, Rayden quickly backed out of the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone.

Now that her father was home, Alisha’s playful demeanor shifted. She straightened up and focused on helping Ashton prepare the meal, all traces of her earlier antics gone.

Working together, they made quick progress, and soon Ashton had managed to put together a full spread of dishes, each one more appetizing than the last.

Rayden, now seated at the dining table, wasted no time digging in. He ate with the enthusiasm of a man who hadn’t had a proper meal in days, moving from one dish to another without so much as a pause to catch his breath.

When he finally leaned back in his chair, looking thoroughly satisfied, he put down his fork and gave a sly smile, throwing knowing glances between Ashton and Alisha.

With a mischievous grin, Rayden couldn’t resist teasing, “Alisha, you’re 24 now. If you’ve got Ashton looking after you, your mom and I can finally rest easy when we get older. Ashton, you should know, Alisha’s a good girl, and there are plenty of people after her. Don’t miss your chance.”

Ashton’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he shifted awkwardly in his seat. “Mr. Smith, you should know my situation. I already have a girlfriend,” he stammered, hoping to end the awkwardness.

Rayden waved off his concerns with a casual shrug. “Oh, come on! In a big family, it’s not unusual for a man to have a few wives. I’m no stranger to that. As long as you treat Alisha well, that’s all I care about.”

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Ashton couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Even Rayden seemed to be pushing the idea, and he couldn’t help but think that Rayden had planted these thoughts in his daughter’s mind.

Was he joking, or was he serious? Unsure how to respond, Ashton forced an uncomfortable laugh and quickly changed the subject. “Well, we can talk about that later. By the way, Mr. Smith, I don’t think I’ve ever had the chance to meet your wife. What’s she been up to lately?”

Alisha seized the chance to step in, clearly embarrassed by her father’s suggestion. “Oh, my mom’s a botanist. She’s always off on some research trip or holed up at her institute. I barely see her more than once a week,” she explained quickly. “She’s been really busy lately. One of the plants she’s working on is almost ready to mature. She hasn’t been home for over two weeks.”

With that, Alisha pulled out her phone and showed Ashton a photo her mother had recently sent.

As soon as Ashton saw the image, he froze, his breath catching in his throat.

It wasn’t that Alisha’s mother, Samantha Smith, was particularly stunning, though she did have a graceful elegance about her. No, it was the strange plant she was holding that grabbed his attention.

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