Chapter 104
“Thank you, please visit us again.”
Ashley gave a slight nod to the manager and staff who had come all the way out to the street to see him off, then turned around. The driver, who had been waiting nearby, promptly opened the back door of the parked car, but Ashley stopped in place and spoke.
“Go on ahead. I want to walk a little.”
The aging driver blinked in surprise and looked to the side. The two bodyguards who had been stationed near Ashley ever since he arrived exchanged glances.
“We’ll stay nearby and wait for your call.”
One of them spoke, and the driver nodded and returned to the car. Ashley walked away on his own, leaving them behind. The two bulky men followed at a slight distance, but he paid them no mind. Right now, he just wanted to savor this little bit of freedom for as long as he could.
Ever since arriving on the East Coast, his life had felt like a prison. For someone like Ashley—who had lived freely, doing whatever he wanted—every day here was hell. He had to wake up at a set time, have breakfast with his father, eat lunch seated across from “him,” who couldn’t even get out of bed on his own, and attend some party or gathering by evening.
He spent his entire day preparing for these events. If he didn’t know who the host was, what they did for a living, or, if they were a businessperson, information about their company, his father would openly show his displeasure.
Of course, Ashley wasn’t stupid enough to deliberately provoke his father. He did everything he could to return to Koi as soon as possible. Without complaint, without resistance, he followed orders to the letter. Even if it meant pulling all-nighters.
And that wasn’t the end of it. Ashley had also started preparing for college entrance exams. After all, once they hit 12th grade, everyone would be busy studying. But his father didn’t allow him to be just “like everyone else.” His son had to be far more exceptional. Unfortunately, Ashley had the misfortune of actually being capable enough to fulfill those expectations.
Just as he had predicted, his father wanted him to attend the same university he had. So Ashley was already networking with alumni and gathering information about the school. That alone kept him overwhelmed, but on top of that, he’d started learning French. Though he already had excellent Spanish skills, that wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy his father. Once he was proficient in French, he’d likely be expected to start German next.
With all this going on, days flew by, and the three-hour time difference made it even harder to call Koi. Most of the time, whenever he finally found a spare moment, it was already too late—Koi would be asleep. Unless he planned ahead, like today, it was impossible to carve out time for himself.