Shut Up and Surprise Me

03. No Knights Without Drama

"Good evening," Angus, Danielle's butler, greets us as he steps aside and holds the door open. "Everyone is in the main living room."

This is the first time I have stepped into Ashton's mom's property again after the day we brought Chloe to introduce her. Last year, Danielle threw a massive party on her yacht on her birthday, but this time, she wants to have a private and quiet dinner with her family. It's not that I'm a family to her, but Chloe was very clear that she would only come to Ashton's family's invitation with me.

I never made it to Danielle's living room the last time I was here. Contrasting the modern and lowkey stiff interior design in Ashton's condo, his mom's house is a mix of modern style with a touch of art. I've never seen anything like this. The Victorian walls are painted grey, almost silver, while the metal furniture and the lighting are in a gold shade, except for the white sofa. It's a usual color mix, yet surprisingly classy.

Emily sits between her daughters, Peyton and Elaine, and she smiles brightly when she sees me. Dickson is standing behind them, a scotch glass in his hand and his signature smirk plastered on his face. As my eyes fall on the blonde woman in her golden reading chair, I gulp. Her blue eyes are piercing into me with the sharpness that can cut a diamond, but they soon turn softer when her son strides in her direction.

"Happy birthday, Mother." Ashton leans in and gives his mom pecks. "We apologize for being a little late. The home tour took longer than we expected."

Chloe and I take a turn congratulating her, before my daughter hands our little gift to her grandmother. It's literally little in terms of size and value. As always, Ashton was clueless about what to buy for a birthday gift, and I had no idea what his mother wanted. We ended up buying her a diamond brooch —a safe choice.

"I heard you're planning to take over Clayman's property," Danielle says once we all greet each other and settle down on the couch. "Did you get to see it today?"

When Ashton raises an eyebrow, Emily cuts in, "I told her. That's how she found out."

"I see," Ashton says. "And yes, we checked out his family house by the lake, and" —he glances at me and Chloe— "we're going to take it. Char and Chloe love it."

"Have you settled on the price?" Dickson asks.

"No. Twenty is a crazy price, but I will talk to my financial advisor about this first thing in the morning."

"How did you find the house, Chloe?" Emily asks my daughter. "Are you looking forward to moving into a little palace?"

Chloe crunches her nose. "Yes and no."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Yes, because the house is beautiful and huge." My daughter turns to me, giving me the 'I knew it' look. "I told you it was a palace," she says before looking at Emily again. "But it's too far from school, and I don't want to move to a new school."

"It's time for you to move to a better school anyway," Danielle says. "But I still think homeschooling is the best. You can finish school faster than average kids and start university earlier."

"She doesn't like the idea of homeschooling. I did ask her," Ashton says. "And I think it's fine. Homeschooling is not for everyone."

Dickson chuckles. "I hate homeschooling, but I didn't know better. I wish I was given choices," he says, sauntering to the bar cart. He puts a few ice blocks into his crystal glass, pours the gin, and throws a slice of lime inside.

Danielle narrows her eyes. "And what would you become if we sent you to regular schools? You were an easily-distracted kid. It was the best choice for you."