Chapter 432

Chapter 432:

Ashton stood there, coat half-open, eyes fixed on the scene in front of him.

He looked ready to murder someone.

I tried to stand, but Daniel had me pinned.

My forearm throbbed where his grip tightened.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

Ashton strode in front of us, grabbed Daniel’s wrist, and yanked hard.

Daniel stared up at him, tear-streaked and red-faced.

Ashton caught a fistful of Daniel’s hair, hauled him to his feet, then flung him backwards with a shove.

Daniel stumbled and crashed into the edge of the drafting table.

The thud rattled a jar of pens off the side.

“Ow—fuck!” he yelled. “My back p>

He flopped down against the table like his spine had snapped clean in half. He hunched over and whined, “Mirabelle, I think my spine’s broken… Can you help me up p>

“Don’t.” Ashton’s voice snapped across the room before I could twitch a finger. They both stared at me.

“I wasn’t going to,” I said, rising to stand next to Ashton, arms folded. Daniel was still slumped by the edge, wheezing for attention.

From this angle, I had a clear view of the red patch spreading through his shirt where it had hit the table.

Nothing looked broken.

His nose had stopped running.

His eyes were dry now, but puffed up like a toddler who’d just lost a toy. I didn’t move. “You didn’t hit that hard. You barely bumped it. And my arm still aches from how tight you grabbed it, so no, I’m not helping you p>

Daniel shut up.

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He pushed himself up slowly, one hand clamped around his lower back, the other braced on the table edge.

He made a show of exhaling through clenched teeth.

Once upright, he turned to Ashton. “You’ve got a heavy hand, man. I think you misunderstood—me and Mira, we were just talking. I got a bit worked up p>

“I didn’t misunderstand,” Ashton cut in. “I just wanted to hit you p>

Daniel’s mouth hung open. No comeback.

Ashton turned to me. “Did you know he’s Rhys Granger’s brother?” His voice cracked slightly on the name.

He’d clearly tried to keep it even, but failed.

He’d shown up out of nowhere, looking ready to throw someone through a window, and now I knew why.

“I know,” I said.

His head jerked slightly. “You know?” His jaw clenched.

He reached up and yanked open the top button of his shirt like it was suffocating him. “You know he’s Rhys Granger’s bastard brother, and you still gave him a job? Let him cry on you like some pathetic p>

“I just found out,” I cut in. “He told me himself. And I didn’t let him do anything. The idiot grabbed me so hard I couldn’t shake him off. My arm still hurts p>

Ashton’s mouth pulled tight, but the line between his brows eased a little. “When did he tell you p>