In court?
Holy shit, was Ash the one that filed that lawsuit?
Kallie felt her knees growing weaker by the second.
“This is all your fault, Martin.”
“My fault? You’re the one who defaulted on raising him right, Sylvia.”
“You weren’t even around for his childhood! Had you been there to lead him, he wouldn't have even chosen this woman!”
“At least he chose a better woman than you! I could’ve done ten times better the first time around!”
Kallie felt a small tug on her waist and she was more than comfortable going with Ash. Anything to get herself away from the fight that was mounting by the second. His hand slipped to her hip and guided her along as they both walked back out into the main ballroom. His parents shouting soon faded into the background as her ears latched onto the sounds around her. Onto the clinking of glasses and the chewing of food and the fake laughter that surrounded them.
Kallie could see why Ash wanted to get away from this kind of atmosphere.
Ash’s lips against hers pulled her from her shell-shocked state. The kiss was sweet. No tongue. No overbearing arms. No pulling her body into his. Just a simple kiss from a man guiding her without hiding her away. Her eyes fell closed and she puckered her lips just before he pulled away, leaving her wanting more as they stood at the corner of all the chaos.
“What is going on?” Kallie asked.
“Be strong for just a little while longer, and then I promise we’ll talk,” Ash said.
“I don’t understand. You said—”
Kallie watched Ash smile down at her and her heart surged with joy. She felt breathless. Suspended in the moment as reality finally crashed down around her. She was looking into the eyes of a man that loved her.
A man she loved in return.
“Come with me,” Ash said. “Please?”
Kallie found herself nodding her head.
He guided her to the side of the stage and she caught the slightest earful of his parents still fighting. What an absolutely selfish couple. No wonder he was estranged from them. They turned and Ash’s arm guided her up the steps onto the main platform, and suddenly Kallie grew nervous again.
Then, she felt Ash’s lips press against her cheek before he stepped up the microphone.
Was he about to give a speech!?
Chapter 27
Ash
Ash took a deep breath as he stepped up to the microphone. Everything was riding on how she took the speech he had prepared. He spent all morning on it. Tailoring it and tweaking it. Memorizing it and reciting it in the mirror to himself. It all hinged on this one moment as she stood on stage with him.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” Ash asked.
The ballroom slowly died down and everyone’s attention turned to him.
“First off, I want to thank you all for coming and supporting my new charity, the Ocean Sky Foundation. Our purpose is simple. To help protect our environment by employing those around the globe who need jo
bs in order to support their families. This is not a business. It is not a way to gain profit. The only bank account this charity will have will be the bank account your donated funds will dip into before being distributed around the world to organizations that will be put in place to help conserve our environment. To help protect endangered species. To buy out islands before they can be filled with tourists and to cultivate lands that have been decimated by the human touch. I am personally footing the initial bill it will take to set up all of these organizations, and I will also be donating eight hundred million dollars to get the charity on its feet.”
A gasp trickled around the room before a massive applause erupted from the crowd.
“My hope is that all of you will be compelled to donate as well. We have an obligation to our future generations to preserve the planet they will be born to, so they can try to amass their own wealth and live their own life. My charity will take on as many projects as well can. From water filtration to sea-cleaning to endangered species preservation. From planting trees in a rainforest decimated by bulldozing and wood harvesting all the way to funding scientists so they can find a way to obtain a cleaner, more efficient energy source for our growing world. And there’s only one person I could think of that can manage a project of this scale.”
Ash’s eyes looked back at Kallie as her jaw dropped.