Chapter 82

"Yes Beau. And looking back now, I should have called you to ask on how to deal with Mr. Cagliari" Ashleigh replied, and Adrian's directed a sharp gaze to her. Beau who was fascinated by her words, let out a big laugh and flopped onto the couch which she wanted to seat on. With a sigh she sat besides Adrian, and the warmth of his body pressed against her even though they weren't touching. "I wasn't expecting you to last long with him" Beau mused, smirking. "When he reached out to me, I was surprised you were still here." Ashleigh's brow furrowed. "Reach out?" Her eyes flickered to the table in front of them. Small perfume bottles, tester strips, and labeled vials were spread across the surface, resembling a miniature fragrance lab. She frowned. "What is all this?" Adrian finally spoke, his tone smooth but edged with something she didn't like. "While you were... taking your time outside," he said pointedly, not glancing at her. "I had Mr. Turner arrange for a perfume expert. But since it was short notice, I had to settle for Beau." Ashleigh blinked, then turned to Beau with doubt. "You?" Beau placed a hand on his chest. "You wound me." Then he smirked. "But I'll forgive you. After all, how could you possibly know that I spent two years studying perfumery before going to college?" Ashleigh's eyes widened slightly and her mouth opened. "You did?" Beau crossed his legs, draping an arm over the back of the couch. "And I am damn good at it." His playful tone dropped into something serious. "I'll help you figure out who's behind this, Ashleigh. We're going to nail that culprit to the wall." A knot loosened in her chest and she felt lighter for the first time this evening. "Then let's begin." Adrian's voice cut through the moment like steel. Beau got to work. He fired off questions, pushing Ashleigh to recall every detail of the scent. He mixed samples, had her sniff one after another. Time slipped by. Hours passed and soon Mr. Turner joined in on Adrian's demand, researching possible perfume brands. The process was gruelling as Beau was thorough and soon every scent blurred together in Ashleigh's senses. The rich musk. The citrus notes. The heavy sandalwood. The room smelled like an explosion of perfumes, and it weighed down on her, making her head spin. She exhaled sharply, dropping the latest tester. "I can't do this anymore, Beau. My head is pounding." She groaned, tossing her head back against the couch, and a thought slipped before she could stop it. "If I had just talked to Arthur, we might have gotten more clues. Not this headless chicken hunt." Silence reigned in the room, then.... "So you didn't get to speak to your friend?" Ashleigh's eyes snapped open at Adrian's question. He was watching her, his expression unreadable. There was something dangerously controlled about his gaze and his voice. She straightened up, meeting his gaze. "I would have if you had let me be for at least two minutes" "According to Mr. Atkinson you left quite early, so you would have gotten there early as well" he stated, tilting his head and tapping his fingers on the armrest. "You had plenty of time to talk before I texted you." His voice was calm, too smooth. "So.... what happened? Were you interrupted?" The words barely registered before realization hit her, and her breath hitched. "You sent that message to Fiona and James, didn't you?" Adrian didn't flinch. He simply nodded, and Ashleigh's blood ran cold. "Why would you do that?" she whispered. "Why do you keep interfering, Adrian? Why can't you just stay out of my life?" Beau's gaze flickered between them, fascinated. Adrian's lips curled slightly, but it wasn't a smile. "They deserved to know you were in town." Ashleigh shook her head, stepping back. "No, Adrian. They didn't, at least not yet. I had a plan." Adrian's eyes darkened. "And somehow, I wasn't in that plan." The air in the room grew thick, charged with something neither of them wanted to name. Beau leaned back on the couch, watching them with open amusement. "Oof! The tension." Ashleigh ignored him. "I don't need you interfering in my matters, so why do you always do this? Why do you always have to control everything?" Adrian leaned in slightly, voice dropping. "Because I don't like being kept in the dark like some secret, Ashleigh." Her breath hitched. Before Ashleigh could react, he was close. Too close. His fingers curled under her chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. "They deserve to know you're mine too, Ashleigh." The words sent a shiver down her spine. Beau whistled lowly. "You two should just kiss already!" Ashleigh nearly choked. "Beau!" She glanced at Adrian and saw his expression flickered...... was that amusement? Beau shrugged. "What? I'm just saying. If you're going to burn the whole room down with this unresolved tension, at least make it entertaining." Ashleigh turned away, trying to regain control of herself. Beau chuckled, then lifted a perfume vial, eyeing it thoughtfully. "By the way, Ash. Not to spoil your moment," he said, "I just remembered something interesting about this scent." Ashleigh frowned. "What?" Beau smirked. "It's exclusive." Adrian's gaze sharpened. "Explain." Beau swirled the vial between his fingers. "The perfume you described? It's not something you find in a store. It's custom-made." He met their eyes. "And I may know exactly who makes it." Ashleigh felt the blood drain from her face, her stomach dropping. "Well this changes everything."