Ashley blinked, still slightly dazed from the intensity of the mont. Her heart was racing, and her cheeks were flushed from the kiss that had spun her mind.
The elevator doors closing brought her back to reality, but the sudden interruption from her mother’s text felt like cold water thrown on the warmth they had shared.
"From my mom?" she asked breathlessly, quickly taking the phone from Tanaga’s hand. Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened the ssage.
Sure enough, her mother, Fely Gusman, confird their plans for the next day.
Fely: [Sir, boss! If you are still busy... it’s ok! Please tell my daughter we will wait for her in the lobby. Thank you!"]
Ashley read the ssage aloud, feeling a mixture of excitent and anxiety build up inside her. They were downstairs already, and her family would et Tanaga—the man she was pretending was just her boss. The thought made her stomach churn, though she tried to calm her expression.
She glanced up at Tanaga, standing silently, his phone still in her hand. He looked as composed as ever, but she could tell he was thinking about the sa thing she was.
The weight of the upcoming eting hung heavily between them, an unspoken tension filling the air.
"Well," Ashley said, letting out a deep breath, I guess this is happening. My family is already downstairs waiting for ." She gave Tanaga a small, unsure smile.
Tanaga nodded, his face serious but not unkind. "We’ll make sure everything goes smoothly," he said, stepping closer to her. "They don’t need to know anything they’re not ready for yet. We’ll stick to the plan."
Ashley nodded, feeling slightly reassured by his calm deanor. But deep inside, she couldn’t ignore the growing dread. How long could they keep this charade going? What would happen if her family sohow found out the truth?
Before she could voice her worries, Tanaga gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek. "I’ll be by your side through it all," he said softly, his intense gaze locking onto hers. "I won’t let anything happen to you."
Her heart swelled at his words, and for a mont, her fear began to lt away. She smiled at him, her nerves easing. "Thank you, Tanaga."
Instead of texting back, Ashley decided to call her Mother. When Fely answered, she put the phone on speakerphone mode.
Together, they walked out of the elevator and headed back to their room, knowing that later would bring a new set of challenges—but also knowing that, whatever happened, they would face them together.
Ashley smiled as she heard her mother’s warm, excited voice over the phone, her heart lightening at her mom’s understanding tone.
"Of course, Mom! Feel free to explore the hotel. It’s a great place, and I’m sure you’ll love it. Take as many pictures as you want!" Ashley responded, her voice full of affection.
She glanced at Tanaga, standing beside her, listening intently to the conversation. His expression softened as he heard the joy in her mother’s voice. He gave Ashley a small nod, silently encouraging her to continue.
"Thank you, Ashley You know your brothers—already running around and teasing each other like kids. They’re so excited to see you, even though you just left a few days ago. And your father—well, you know how he is, acting all cool but secretly counting the minutes until we et," Fely said with a chuckle, her love and excitent evident.
Ashley laughed lightly, imagining her family exploring the hotel and enjoying themselves.
"That sounds like them," she said, her tone tender.
"By the way, your boss will be here too, right?" Fely added, her voice suddenly curious. "I know you ntioned he’s coming. We’re looking forward to eting him! We’ve heard so much about the company you’re working for in Japan."
Ashley’s heart skipped a beat as she looked over at Tanaga, who raised an eyebrow at the ntion of him.
She felt the pressure building but kept her cool. "Yes, Mom. My boss will be there," she replied, her voice steady.
"He’s finishing so work, but we’ll co down to et you soon."
Tanaga caught her eye, offering her a reassuring smile as if to say everything would be fine. Ashley returned the smile, grateful for his silent support.
As Tanaga heard that Ashley’s mom ntioned they would take so pictures first, his worries about potentially getting bored if they took more ti disappeared.
He quickly nodded to Ashley to convey that it was okay to take so pictures.
"Of course, mom! It’s okay. I’ll just text or call you when we are on our way down. Bye, mom... love you!"
"See you soon!" Fely said the smile on her face was contagious as she happily told said it to her daughter.
"Thanks, Mom. See you soon!" Ashley said, then quickly ended the call.
The mont the line disconnected, Ashley let out a small sigh of relief. She looked at Tanaga, who was still standing close, his presence a comforting anchor in the middle of all the chaos.
Suddenly, Tanaga, without hesitation, gently scooped her up and carried her straight to bed, giving her a soft kiss on her kissable lips.
He then picked up his phone and called his butler to explain what to do with his in-laws.
"Go to the hotel lobby and greet them with a warm welco. Please give them a hotel tour and ensure they feel comfortable and at ho. Then, kindly escort them to the restaurant, where a table will be reserved. Treat them to a delightful al and ensure they have everything they need. You already know what to do. Do you understand?!"
With keeping them busy, it will give them enough ti to do what must be done.
"Yes, boss! You can count on . I will personally ensure that every detail is taken care of for Mrs. Smith’s family and that they have a wonderful experience. Take your ti!"
The butler happily answered, his dedication evident as he hung up the phone.
"Well, that went better than I expected," Ashley said with a nervous chuckle.
Tanaga nodded. "Your family sounds lovely," he remarked, his voice calm. "Now let’s make sure everything goes according to plan when we et them."
Ashley smiled, feeling more confident with him by her side. "I know it will," she said, her heart filled with hope.
With that, they both took a deep breath, ready to face the upcoming eting with Ashley’s family together.
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