A Love Trap

Chapter 53 Francis

When Ashley and Andrew exited Vineyard Restaurant, it was already dark. But there were bright neon lights and headlights that blazed in the streets. Ashley walked slowly, and Andrew followed her at a polite distance.

All of a sudden, a cool breeze blew.

Ashley was only wearing a dress, and the cold air sent shivers up and down her body. Instinctively, she crossed her hands over her chest and rubbed her arms to keep herself warm.

Suddenly, the smell of sweet tobacco wafted through her senses.

A coat had been draped over her shoulders.

Surprised and baffled, she quickly turned around and saw Andrew's handsome face very close to hers.

He had a well-sculpted and enchanting face, which easily made him stand out from a crowd.

He did not expect Ashley's sudden movement and was caught off guard. He froze, his hands still resting on Ashley's shoulders after placing his jacket over them. His long lashes fluttered, making his deep, inky eyes, glimmer against the neon lights. With a straight face, he clenched his jaw slightly.

At that moment, their faces were so close that they could feel each other's warm breath.

With that distance, Ashley saw that Andrew had such flawless skin that could put Adonis to shame.

As Ashley was lost in her thoughts, Andrew turned away and straightened himself up.

As a result, Ashley's lips gently touched his cheek.

The unexpected "kiss" brought her back to her senses. Eyes wide open in shock, her hands flew up to her mouth in disbelief.

'She looks like a little, panic-stricken hamster.

She looks so cute, ' Andrew thought inside, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

There were so many emotions going through him right now, but he did his best not to show it. Instead, he furrowed his brows and bit on his lower lip slightly, looking more like he was angry.

But the truth was, he was savoring that wonderful moment when Ashley planted a soft kiss on his cheek by accident.

'Her lips were so soft and smooth like jelly, ' he thought.

"Wait here. I'll be right back," he said to the rattled girl in a low, husky voice.

With her hands still on her mouth, she met his gaze and gave a prompt nod.

As Andrew disappeared into the distance, Ashley unfroze and gasped for air.

She had no idea what was going on with her. After that incident, she was so nervous that she didn't realize she was holding her breath all the while.

Glancing at the suit jacket that was now over her shoulder, she hugged it closer to her body and tried to compose herself.

'It was just an accident. Andrew noticed that I was cold. As a gentleman, it was natural that he would take off his jacket and put it on me. I was just caught off guard, that's all.

I shouldn't make it a big deal. It was just an accident..

Besides, it was my fault. He's the victim here, '

she thought, trying to convince herself.

Meanwhile, Andrew was walking to where he had parked his car. His hand went up to his cheek, his finger lightly brushing where Ashley had accidentally kissed him. The memory of her warm lips flooded Andrew's thoughts.

His eyes, which were usually devoid of any emotion, swelled with a softness that had never been there before.

He got inside his car and started the engine, driving towards where he had left Ashley. When she came into his view, Andrew couldn't help but smile to himself. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Ashley was busy looking at her phone as she waited for Andrew. She had already put the previous events behind her.

The sudden honk attracted her attention. Stunned, she raised her head slowly and saw Andrew waving to her in the car.

Ashley pursed her lips slightly in disapproval. 'What is he doing? He is acting as if I'm his pet, ' she thought.

Unwillingly, she made her way to his car and got inside the passenger seat.

The moment she buckled up, she caught a glimpse of Andrew's arm- it was red with rashes. "What's wrong with your arm?" she asked worriedly. 'What's going on with his arm? When we came here, he looked all right.

Is he suffering from an allergy?' she mused, staring at the red spots.

His lips pressed together as he looked over his arm.

When he was on his way to get his car, he was still feeling itchy from all the spicy food he ate. He had already noticed that there were red spots on his arm, and tugged on his sleeves to hide them. But, his

attempts were futile.

"I'm fine. It just got itchy, that's all," Andrew replied as he tugged on his sleeves further to cover the red spots.

"I see. I thought you had an allergy," Ashley said with a skeptical look. 'Come on, Ashley, he has no reason to lie to you. If he said he's fine, then he's fine, ' she said to herself. With that, she turned her head and looked out the window instead.

As the suspicion on Ashley's face disappeared, Andrew inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

He didn't want her to pry too much and find out that he was actually allergic to spicy food.

'She put so much spicy food in my bowl. If she knew that I am allergic to spicy food, she would feel guilty. I don't want to see her guilty, ' he thought, frowning to himself.

...

The two drove back to Ashley's condo in silence. Although they did not talk much, they were comfortable, and enjoyed each other's company.

It was as if they were long-time friends.

Soon enough, they arrived in Ashley's neighborhood. When Andrew stopped the car, Ashley unfastened her seat belt so she could get out of the car. But when she tried to open the door, it wouldn't open.

She turned to look at Andrew.

"Why can't I open it?" she asked.

Instead of answering her question, he said curtly, "Give me your phone?"

"Why is that?" Ashley asked, staring at him with confused eyes. Without receiving any response from him, she drew her cell phone out of her handbag, swiped the screen to unlock it, and handed it to him.

In one swift movement, he took the phone and made a call. Soon a melodious ringtone broke the silence.

He gave it back to Ashley and rested his eyes on her. "It's my number. You can call me any time," he said softly in his husky voice.

"Okay..." Ashley nodded. Andrew reached for a switch at his side, unlocking the car door with a quiet click.

Ashley looked at the number on her phone screen and got out of the car.

...

When Ashley's figure disappeared in the distance, Andrew pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

It took him a long while to get through. And then, he heard the seductive giggles of a woman in the background at the end of the line.

In a five-star hotel, Francis lay on the bed naked with a gorgeous woman. It looked like she was still indulging in the crazy sex they just had before the call had interrupted. With a displeased look, she ogled Francis, extending her slender hand to draw small circles on his sturdy chest.

Miffed slightly, Francis checked the phone number. When he saw Andrew's name on the screen, he pushed the girl away and got out of bed. In three long strides, he walked over to the French doors and answered the call. "Hello? Mr. Lu, you finally thought of me," he said in a playful tone.

The moment Andrew had heard the woman in the background, he had a good idea what his friend was doing. Andrew's brows furrowed. "Come to Golden Palace," he demanded coldly.