Page 26 of Don't Fall for the Billionaire
“No. I moved here about a year and a half ago from Connecticut after my mother passed away.”
“I'm sorry for your loss. What about your father?”
“My father died when I was five. He went for his daily morning run and had a massive heart attack on the street.”
“I'm sorry to hear that. He couldn't have been very old,” I said.
“He was thirty-five. My mom told me he was a health freak. He always took great care of himself by eating healthy and running every day.”
“I guess when your time is up, it's up. Did your mother ever remarry?”
“No. She dated on and off over the years, but he was the love of her life, and she never completely got over his death. Tell me about your parents.”
“This conversation isn't about me. It's about you. When I want you to know something, I'll tell you.”
“Okay, then,” she said. “I'm sorry for your loss.”
“What loss?” My brows furrowed.
“Eloise's mother. I'm sure her death shook you.”
“Eloise's mother and I were not in love. Eloise was conceived one drunken night when I was too inebriated even to know what I was doing. I was enraged when Sara told me she was pregnant. The last thing I needed in my life was to raise a kid. My father had just left me in charge of the company here while he moved to Los Angeles. Sara told me that she didn't want anything from me and that I didn't need to be a part of Eloise's life. But I still sent her monthly checks and visited Eloise once a month. I'm not that much of a bastard. Then Sara suddenly passed away in her sleep one night, and Eloise was sent to live with me.”
“What was the cause of death? She was so young.”
“The coroner's report stated she had an undiagnosed heart condition.”
Chapter Eleven
Charlotte
Was I surprised that he said when he wanted me to know something, he'd tell me? Absolutely not. That was how these power-tripping wealthy men were. But with him, I had a small glimmer of hope that he was different.
One of my talents was that I could extract information from someone without them realizing they were revealing it. Ashton didn’t want to share anything about his personal life, but so far, he confessed that he didn’t love Eloise’s mother and that his father lived in Los Angeles.
“What does your father do in Los Angeles?” I asked.
“Shit.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I let that slip, didn’t I?”
“Maybe you’re not as guarded as you thought you were.” A smirk perched upon my lips.
“I’m carefully guarded, especially about my personal life. You tricked me.”
“I tricked you?” I laughed. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s possible.”
“You did. Anyway, he runs our L.A. offices. Before you ask me about my mother, she lives with her husband, Raphael, in Italy. Now, no more personal questions. Understand?”
“I do.” I smiled.
I went to climb out of the hot tub, and Ashton reached out and grabbed hold of my wrist.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“To bed?” My brow arched.
His eyes stared into mine. It was almost as if he were searching for my soul. His gaze bore into me, making me forget that being in this hot tub with him wasn’t a good idea. His hand let go of my wrist.
“Sleep tight, Charlotte.”
