"Dad."
Both Mason and Teena stood up nervously.
Carter simply waved his hand and said with a frown, "Where is Elle?"
"In her room." Mason pointed at Noelle's room. "I'll ask her to come out."
Carter gave it some thought and then said, "Let me do it."
He understood his circumstances clearly. For the past two years, the household had not been treating Noelle well. She must be similarly holding resentment within her. However, he had no choice but to humble himself before Noelle.
To be meek was nothing. The household's continued development was his only consideration.
"Elle. It's your grandpa. Come out. I have a few words that I want to say to you," Carter said as he knocked on her door.
Before Carter even knocked on the door, Noelle had already heard his voice and knew the reason why he was there.
"Grandpa, I think you should look for others to petition to Asher. He'll not listen to a word I say now." Noelle told him directly.
Carter's brows knitted, but he still tried to convince her as he said, "Elle, I admit that the household has treated you badly for the past two years. However, the fault is mine alone for having my judgment clouded. This has nothing to do with anyone else. Help the household this time and ask for Asher's help. Even though Radley's gone, I can see clearly that he won't give up so easily. Without Asher, the Stewards will become his target again eventually. It's not easy for the household to become what it is today. I cannot let the household fall into ruins in my hands. I'll not allow that to happen. I promise you that if you go and ask Asher, I'll allow you to work at the group's headquarters as compensation for what happened to you for the past two years."
If Carter had realized his mistakes earlier, Noelle would have forgiven him. However, it was already too late.
"The person that our household owes the most is not me. It's Asher. I divorced Asher in front of everyone for the sake of our household. Now, you want me to go and beg him for his help? I have my own pride, too! I've thought things through now as well. I'll leave Rollinsford as soon as possible. What happens to the Stewards will no longer have anything to do with me."
When Carter heard what Noelle had to say, Carter could feel a fire burning within him. However, no matter how furious he was, he dared not berate Noelle anymore. He had nowhere to unleash his fury.
Mason then walked over and said, "Elle, the blood of the Stewards flows within your veins. Listen to your grandpa and look for Asher. If I'm right, you still have a place in his heart."
"Elle, come out for now. You cannot just let your grandpa stand outside like this," Teena said.
The Stewards were quite patriarchal. Due to the fact that they had no sons, Mason and Teena had also been side-lined in the household. Now that they had a rare chance to turn their fate around, it was only natural for Mason to not want to lose this chance.
Not to mention that, as Noelle's father, he was also hoping that Asher and Noelle could get back together. On one hand, Asher was a good husband. On the other hand, if Noelle ended up as the wife of a scion from the Capital City, she no longer needed to keep her head low in front of anyone.
After a short while, Noelle opened the door and walked out.
"Enough. I'll not look for him," Noelle said in a resolute tone.
When Mason and Teena heard the tone in her voice, they could not help but let out a sigh.
They knew their daughter very well. If Asher was just Asher Craig and not some heir from the Capital City, there was a possibility that Noelle would contact him.
But since Asher was a scion from the Sander household, Noelle would never contact him again. That was because Noelle was not someone that would lower herself to please someone else.
"Elle. Must I kneel before you so that you would consider helping the household?" Carter said with a hint of powerlessness in his voice. "If that is what I must do, then so be it!"
With that, Carter was prepared to kneel before her.
Mason and Teena were shocked.
Even Noelle was caught off guard, and she quickly stopped him, saying, "Grandpa, why must you force me? Why can't you let me maintain what pride I have left before him?"
Nephele Hotel.
Asher had booked another room for Livia. Their rooms were just next to each other's. After he had sent her to her room, Asher then said, "Livia, you can stay here for now. Someone back home might contact you soon."
"But… I won't go back."
It was August and in the middle of Summer. The temperature in Rollinsford was shockingly high as well.
Livia was wearing a pink, short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of daisy dukes. She sat down on the bed, showing her pair of beautiful legs.
"Asher, if Elle ever apologizes to you, will you forgive her?"
Asher was also thinking about the same question. There was no doubt that there was still a place for her in his heart. But what she did had hurt him too much.
Asher was also quite troubled with his own thoughts.
"I know her," Asher said as he was about to return to his own room. "She won't apologize that easily."
"Elle just called and asked me which room you're in. She'll definitely come over to look for you," Livia said after pondering for a while. "Asher, I know that it's hard for her as well. Due to the rejection of the marriage proposal from Radley, my grandpa has become unsympathetic toward her. She has also suffered a great deal after marrying you."
Of course, Asher knew all of that. That was the reason why he said nothing in front of Noelle. However, he simply could not accept the fact that Noelle had initiated the divorce.
Asher returned to his room after some hesitation.
It was at this time Livia's mobile began to ring. It was from Noelle.
"Elle, you're already here? I'll come see you right now."
Livia then took the elevator down to the first floor, and she saw Noelle standing in the lobby. She was wearing a black dress, and the contrasting color made her skin look as white as snow. It truly brought out the maturity and sex appeal in her.
Livia then took Noelle to Asher's room and said, "Well, I won't be going in, Sis."
And with that, she returned to her room.
Noelle did not know why but she suddenly felt very nervous, with sweat coming out from her hands. After taking a few deep breaths, Noelle then pressed the doorbell.
The door opened. Asher had just taken a shower. He was wearing nothing but a bathrobe with his hair still wet.
"Master... Master Sander."
Asher acknowledged her and said, "Is there something you need, Lady Steward?"
Him calling her "Lady Steward" felt like a punch in the gut. The pain was excruciating.
"Can... Can I go in?"
Asher turned around and sat on the sofa as he tossed the towel on the end table. Noelle hesitated, but she entered and closed the door.
There was another sofa opposite the sofa he was sitting on. Noelle did not sit. Instead, she continued standing in front of him. Her hands were fiddling about as she stood there in discomfort. Her nervousness was as clear as day.
"Master Sander, can you help the Stewards?"
Noelle peeked at Asher.
"No," Asher said without hesitation.
"Please, I beg you, Master Sander. Help us," Noelle said as her forehead furrowed. "I know that the Stewards have caused a lot of problems in the last two years and that you have been hurt a lot. The Stewards regret their actions. My grandpa asked me to petition to you, Master Sander. If you can help us survive this crisis, we can accept any conditions you put forth."
"Noelle. Is your household more important than anything else in your life?" Asher asked her coldly.
Noelle was suddenly taken aback by his line of questioning. Of course, he knew what Asher was trying to say. She had cut Asher off and divorced him because of her household. Now, she was trampling on her own pride to beg for help for the Stewards, despite how hurtful it was.
"I already told my grandpa that once I've met you, I'll leave Rollinsford. I'll never return again. The Stewards will have nothing to do with me anymore."
"You're leaving?" Asher's heart suddenly tightened.
Noelle nodded.
"I can help them, but I have two conditions."
Seeing that Asher was loosening his grip on the matter, Noelle quickly nodded and said, "I can accept that. To be honest, I can accept more than two if it comes to that."
"First, you must stay with the Stewards. Secondly, you know what my stance is when it comes to them. Do you want me to help the Stewards? Fine. But shouldn't you have to sacrifice something in return?" Asher gave Noelle a wry smile, his eyes filled with aggression.
Looking at the flames in Asher's eyes, Noelle immediately knew what he wanted. She was also getting extremely nervous. Her delicate face began to light up, adding even more to her attractiveness.
Before Noelle could say anything, Asher suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her over to him. Noelle fell right into his lap.
During the two years of their marriage, the two of them had never interacted like this. Noelle could feel her heart thumping fast. She instinctively wanted to fight back, but her strength seemed to have been drained away. She felt powerless as her whole body went numb.
"In order to save the Stewards, you were even about to sleep with Radley. I've been your husband for at least two years, but you've never let me touch you even once. That doesn't seem fair," Asher said with a half-smile.
His left hand was holding her wrist, while his right hand was stroking her delicate body.