Ashley’s expression was all smiles as she happily returned to eating, oblivious to Tanaga’s intense stare.
Her previous stress subsided as she briefly forgot her problems and concentrated on her supper.
But Tanaga eyed her with calm absorption and admiration, and he stayed thinking.
Her rapid mood swings and her effortless ability to find joy in the little things, even after talking about sothing as nerve-wracking as eting her family, captivated him.
Ashley was ready to cut into her al when Tanaga’s phone rang, ruining the mont.
The sound interrupted the silence and grabbed their attention. Uncertain if the ssage was for him or Ashley, Tanaga squinted and fumbled for his phone. With a glance, both of them seed curious.
"Is it yours?" Ashley questioned her fork centiters from her lips.
Tanaga glanced at the screen and read the ssage with a non-readable expression. As he read, his brows wrinkled a little. A few monts later, with the tiniest hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, he looked up at Ashley.
He responded gently, "It’s for ," and put down the phone without giving any more context.
"There is no need to worry."
Ashley was curious, but she decided not to ask more. Instead, she shrugged and returned to her food, relishing every mouthful with fervor.
Tanaga, on the other hand, reclined in his chair, his thoughts still racing. He was compelled to consider what was in store.
The well-thought-out strategy they had discussed sounded reasonable, but there were still many uncontrollable factors to consider, including Ashley’s family’s response and how things would develop as they dug more.
Still, he found himself briefly sidetracked from his thoughts as he watched Ashley eat with such apparent delight.
Her contagious enthusiasm filled the space, and Tanaga let himself unwind briefly, taking in the serene surroundings.
Monts like this renewed his motivation to work things out with Ashley, even in the face of the difficulties that lay ahead.
Tanaga observed her with a calm sense of humor as he sat there and recognized that, surprisingly, they were already managing this complex connection well.
Even though their relationship had begun under odd circumstances, they were now partner.
Although unsure of what was ahead, he was prepared to face it alongside her.
Ashley’s phone buzzed right then, stealing her focus from her plate. Reaching for it, her heart skipped a beat as she realized it may be a response from her family. She took a quick look at the screen, gasping a little.
Sensing a change in the atmosphere, Tanaga studied her. His voice was quiet yet curious, "Is it them?" he questioned.
Ashley read the ssage and nodded, her expression serious now. "Yes... they have responded," she said as she put down her fork and concentrated on the phone.
She inhaled deeply, feeling both nervous and excited. "They’re free and agreed to et at the hotel."
Tanaga nodded encouragingly at her. "All right. That is the initial action. All we have to do now is ensure everything goes according to plan when we et them."
Ashley grinned as a wave of eagerness and relief passed over her. "Yeah... Let’s hope for the best."
Now that the eting had been confird, the reality of what would co started to set in.
Ashley was jumping up and down with an infectious eagerness that lit up her face.
"Oh my God! They’re going to see us!" she said as she hurriedly called her mother.
She tapped the call button, her fingers shaking with eagerness.
With a warm grin, Tanaga observed her, knowing that this phone call was the start of their plan, but he was also a little nervous about seeing her happy.
Ashley walked over to Tanaga, pointed to the phone’s speaker, and covered it while muttering.
"Is it alright? I turned it on to the speaker just now. I want you to hear what we are discussing." She explained to Tanaga and asked whether he was okay with it.
Ashley swiftly hit the speakerphone after Tanaga nodded. When Tanaga heard Ashley’s mother’s voice, he could tell that she was crying with joy. He couldn’t resist grinning a bit on his attractive face.
Her mother’s voice was audible and full of emotion when she answered on the third ring.
"Hey, Ashley! My little one! Is that you? I can’t believe it, Ashley! Is that you, really?" Ashley winced and had to move the phone away from her ear when Fely Gusman’s excited and loud voice blasted through the phone.
She put down her cell phone on speakerphone, laughing so Tanaga could also hear the exchange.
Ashley answered, "Yes, Mom, it’s really !" as the loudspeaker echoed. "I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. Work has kept busy here in Japan. Mom! How are you? You know I don’t have the money to get a new phone because I lost mine. I’m grateful that my supervisor was so understanding and offered his phone, which I’m currently using."
Her mother said, her voice shaking with sorrow, "Is that so? My God, I swear, child, I don’t know what would happen if your thing wasn’t tied to your body. Were you aware that your older brothers were searching for a ans to travel to Japan to locate you? I’m so pleased that you’re okay! Oh, we’ve missed you so much!" You’re not aware of our level of concern. Your lack of imdiate communication led us to believe sothing had occurred to you."
Ashley finds it heartbreaking to hear Fely Gusman’s words while she sobs. As her heart grows, she feels relief mixed with sha.
"Mom, I apologize. It wasn’t my intention to worry you. The workload has been a little... too much. But tomorrow, I’m going to see you! We can finally et because I’ll stay at a hotel while on a work trip."
Fely took ti to comprehend the news before speaking again. Are you for real, you say tomorrow?" she questioned, a hint of astonishnt in her voice.
"Yes, mother. My boss is also coming with . We’re here for work, but I’ll have ti to hang around. He’s from Japan. I wanted you to et him," Ashley said, glancing at Tanaga.
Tanaga nodded in agreent, paying close attention to how she presented the narrative.
"Oh, it sounds perfect! We’d be delighted to et him," her mother said in a voice full of enthusiasm once again. "Ashley, you’ve always made us so proud. We are very excited to see you."
Ashley felt a flood of comfort sweep over her due to her mother’s words, warming her heart.
"Mom, I’m also eager to see you. Alright, I’ll text you the hotel details later."
"My love!" Fely reassured her, "We’ll be there."
Tanaga was listening to the Mother and daughter talking. He thought they were so cute, and he smiled secretly.
While the mother-and-daughter duo was busy talking, Tanaga beca playful and pulled Ashley aside. He sat her on his leg before he began kissing her neck.
"Oh’ my god! Saint Mary!" Ashley exclaid as she slipped into Tanaga’s lap.
She was stunned that out of habit, she automatically smacked his arms a little stronger than usual ...
Tanaga didn’t expect her to smack him that hard.
Without thinking about Ashley’s Mother, who’s still on the other side of the line...
He also exclaid, "OUCH !!!" loud enough for Fely to hear...~~
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