CEO's Contract Obsession-Chapter 315: Stop Dreaming

The following day, Mary requested Charles have someone deliver some clothes to Ash’s penthouse because they were running out of time to go there themselves. The decoration work was not yet complete, and the other maids had stopped assisting them, as they needed to support the chef in preparing dishes for tonight’s party.

Across the city, Ash awoke to morning kisses from Beethoven, finding the place surprisingly clean. Assuming it was the housekeeper’s doing, he appreciated her efforts.

The housekeeper greeted him, saying, "Good morning sir, I prepared some hangover soup and light breakfast for you. Also, someone left these clothes from Mr. Welsh’s mansion," as she handed him the paper bags.

"Oh, so they didn’t deliver them last night," Tony, who had just woken up as well, approached Ash and took the paper bag to begin distributing the clothes.

"Arghhh! My head!" yelp woke everyone up, his head throbbing from the effects of a hangover.

The housekeeper scolded the men, treating them like young boys, saying, "I knew this would happen! Why do you have to drink so excessively?"

Ash playfully retorted, "Because I’ll only get married once, and I want them to experience your hangover soup."

Amused by Ash’s comment, the housekeeper shook her head and called him a silly boy, asking, "What will you do without me, huh?"

Anton overheard their conversation and interjected, "Do you already have a job lined up once Ash sells this place?"

"I haven’t decided on anything yet. Although I received an offer to work at the Brighton mansion, I don’t think I’d prefer such a large place. A house of this size suits me better," the housekeeper replied.

With a friendly smile, Anton handed his business card to the old lady, hoping to persuade her. "I’m currently in need of a housekeeper. My previous worker left to take care of her grandson, so I’m without one at the moment. You know Mary, right? We live together, just the two of us. If you’re interested in the job, please give me a call."

"What time is it? I need to go home; I left some files in my study," Henry stated.

Anton quickly responded, "No need to worry, I’ll have my secretary print another copy. We’re running late for our meeting, so let’s have breakfast here and head straight to work. Your luxurious room and bathroom won’t serve any purpose if you don’t use them."

Everyone anxiously awaited Henry’s response, thinking of possible excuses in case he insisted on going home. They knew that the backyard was already set up with tables and chairs, and the kitchen was likely busy preparing dishes for the party.

"Alright then, let’s eat. I think I’ll need two bowls of that hangover soup," Henry agreed, standing up and proceeding to the dining table to start eating.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief and joined Henry at the table to eat, trying not to give away any signs that they were hiding something.

********

In Turner Mansion...

Vanessa repeatedly yawned at the dining table, catching Francis’s attention. He couldn’t resist teasing her about it and kept staring at her until their eyes met. Proudly, he poked his inner cheek with his tongue, playfully showing it off to Vanessa. He continued pushing his cheek back and forth, enjoying the act of annoyance until Vanessa finally frowned.

Francis was having a good time teasing Vanessa, knowing very well that her lack of sleep was due to his father.

"I’ll be heading out, dear. If you need anything, ask Francis," Dimitri said to Vanessa before turning to his son. "Take good care of my wife, keep her company, assist her if she needs anything, and behave," he patted Francis on the shoulder before leaving them in the dining room to go to work.

Vanessa hurriedly finished her meal and wiped her mouth, hoping to leave Francis’ presence as quickly as possible. However, it seemed she wouldn’t get away that easily.

"Where are you going? Did you hear what my father said? I should keep you company," Francis grinned, noticing Vanessa’s reaction to his words.

"It’s okay, I don’t need company. I’ll just go back to sleep," Vanessa said, hoping that Francis would leave her alone.

"You haven’t given me an answer to my proposition. So, what’s it gonna be?" Francis inquired, getting up from his seat and approaching her.

"I-I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I’m thinking about it. Please give me some more time to decide," Vanessa gasped as Francis grabbed her by the waist and squeezed her behind.

"I wonder what’s taking you so long? Could it be that you want to be with me in bed?" Francis said, repeatedly sniffing Vanessa’s hair.

Vanessa pushed him, but he remained unyielding. "Come on, don’t play hard to get. Just give me a chance; maybe you need to experience me to make up your mind. I’m sure I’m better than Henry. I can-"

*SLAP*

"You’ll never be better than Henry. You can’t even be compared to his toenails, so stop dreaming," Vanessa retorted, pushing Francis much harder this time. She hurriedly made her way to her room, tears streaming down her face.

Francis grinned as he rub his red and aching cheek, "Feisty... I like it."

********

Anton and Rei took great care to keep Henry occupied and prevent him from dwelling on Amy, who had already left on a flight back to their country. Fortunately, Henry remained unaware of their efforts and didn’t suspect a thing.

They kept him busy throughout the day with the constant need to sign urgent documents and attend back-to-back meetings. By the end of the day, both Anton and Rei felt exhausted, as if they had participated in a marathon. However, when they were finally ready to leave, they discovered that Henry was still engrossed in sorting through piles of documents on his desk.

"Henry, are you not going home?" Rei inquired.

Without sparing him a glance, Henry replied, "You go ahead, Rei. I’ll sleep here. I need to finish these documents. Take Tony with you."

Internally, Anton and Rei facepalmed, realizing that their plan to keep him occupied had gone too far.

"Those can wait until tomorrow, they’re not that urgent," Anton suggested, hoping he would stop working.

"I want to get ahead on my work, Anton. I’m planning to go back to Brookegrove. She’s still not answering my calls," Henry explained, still focused on the documents.

Anton and Rei exchanged glances and made facial gestures to communicate their next move. When Henry noticed that the two were still standing by the door of his office, he looked up and saw them making expressions.

"Alright, you two, what are you hiding?" Henry stood up and strolled around his desk, crossing his arms at the center.

Anton and Rei took a moment to come up with a plausible reason.

Anton was the first to respond, saying, "It’s just that the girls thought of having dinner tonight at the mansion to keep you company. They also invited Ava and Ash because they’ll be bringing Beethoven along since Ash is moving out of his penthouse tomorrow."

"Everyone will be there, except for you, the owner of the house. And if you’re not there, we’ll all have to squeeze into Rei’s tiny cabin, and we definitely won’t fit," Anton explained.

"If that’s the only reason you want me there, it’s okay. You’re all like family, so feel free to hold dinner there whenever you want," Henry replied, returning to his seat and resuming work on the documents. This response left the two of them frowning, unsure about what Henry meant by his actions and words.

"Are you still not coming?" Rei asked with a worried tone. They knew Amy would be furious if they went to the mansion without Henry.

"Nope, as I said, feel free to use the mansion anytime. I have work to do, and I want to get to Amy as soon as possible. So, go now and stop disturbing me," Henry explained, causing Anton and Rei to be astonished.

"We’re not leaving without you!" Anton started to panic, unable to think of any more reasons. He walked towards Henry, and Rei followed suit.

Anton motioned to Rei, and together they each took hold of one of Henry’s arms, forcefully dragging him out of his office.

Henry furrowed his brow, utterly bewildered by what was happening. It was the first time his best friends had ever acted this way.

"What the hell are you doing? Let me go!" Henry protested, struggling against Anton and Rei’s firm grip, but they were strong and determined, refusing to release him.

His raised voice caught the attention of people in the hallway, who turned to look at them, curious about what was happening.

Rei spotted Tony conversing with one of Henry’s security personnel. "Tony, go to his office and get his things. We’ll wait for you in the car."

"What car? I’m not going anywhere! Stop this foolishness!" Henry protested vehemently. As they approached the elevator, Henry attempted to prevent them from dragging him inside by wedging his feet against the sides of the elevator.

However, Anton and Rei were undeterred. "Boys, grab his feet! Let’s move, move, move!" Rei ordered his men, who quickly followed the command, as they were aware of the planned party in the Mansion.