In Exchange, I'll Call You Thalie

"Nice to meet you," she let it go and instead congratulated them.

"Oh that's right, here's a gift for you. I felt bad for it so I had asked aunt Jacqueline to finish it still."

She handed Madison the paper bags she had been holding.

The crowd started whispering.

"Aunt Jacqueline?"

"It couldn't be Jake France right?"

"Just who is she for Jake France to allow her to call him in his nickname."

Madison frowned before opening the paper bags, her face turned grave upon seeing that it was the same dresses she ordered but was cancelled.

"I heard it was because of an... important person," she slowly said as she looked back at Amber.

Amber covered her mouth shyly, "Geez, aunt Jacqueline really cares too much for me. That's why I felt really bad when I heard that they were dresses of the bride whose wedding I'll be attending."

She once again smiled, "So I rushed him to do it still and thought that I should give it to you as my gift."

Ashton raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her, despite wearing high heels he was still taller than her by half a foot.

Feeling his look Amber looked up and smiled at him, even her eyes were smiling.

'She's enjoying this,' he thought as he tap her nose tip with his finger.

Before wrapping his arm around her waist.

Madison's mood plummet completely, just who is this woman that her dresses were cancelled in order to accomodate the dress this woman would be using for her own wedding?

Seeing her look, Amber triumphed inside. She then glanced at Glenn and she became even happier seeing as his brows were knitted.

"Well once again, congratulations for your wedding."

The crowd who was mocking Ashton in their minds were completely blown away seeing how the two of them interact with each other.

They can tell, he has no eyes for Madison but instead it seems like these two have their own world.

Glenn looked away from Madisoon before clearing his throat, "I say, it is nice to meet you. But isn't it a bit of an overkill for you to wear a mask for a wedding?"

"That's right, it is not like this is a masquerade party," another person voiced out.

When they looked at the person, it was actually Hannah Price, Glenn's mother.

Ashton looked down and saw that she once again smiled sweetly.

"Oh I must apologize madam, I have scarred my face that I might destroy the wedding if you all were to see it. It's kind of hideous."

"Hmmph, if that is the case then stop trying to stand in the limelight by calling Jake France, aunt Jacqueline over and over again. You have a hideous face and you dare outshine my daughter-in-law, with your gown?"

"Please don't misunderstand madam, my fiance was suddenly invited despite so many people knowing of the bad blood between the two of them."

She turned serious, "And the wedding invitation said that he could invite someone else. If not me, his fiance? Then who should he bring here with him?"

"What does that have to do with the gowns?" Hannah didn't back down either.

"Since the invitation was given a week before the wedding, which should have been a month or so, I had asked aunt Jacqueline if he has any spare gown at all."

She leaned her head on Ashton's shoulder, "But he wanted to make a new one instead, I just didn't know that he would actually cancel miss Madison's order just for me. So I pushed him to finish it still and decided to give it as a gift instead."

Her words were saying that it was their fault that Madison's gown was cancelled, so it was her own goodwill to still ask Jake France to finish them.

That she was kind enough to gift the three gowns instead of making them pay for it.

Before Hannah could speak more, Amber kept talking as she once again stood straight, "We have sent our congratulations and have given our gift."

She looked at each of their soured faces, "But seeing as we are no longer invited, I suppose this is where we should take our leave."

"Congratulations once again."

"Congratulations."

No one tried to stop them as they walked away.

Glenn was fuming mad inside, his plan of making Ashton feel bad backfired. He never would have thought that such a woman would appear?

'Amber Wood, I will have to check on who that person is.'

He barely met anyone who could exude such powerful presence. Only among the royals and to top it off, her presence is even stronger than Ashton Wright.

'She could be on par with me,' he added in his mind.

If Ashton's group were to hear him, they would have the same thoughts, 'She has more presence than you.'

The other Price who were present but didn't approach all have the same thoughts, 'Who was that?'

They never saw her before in such big events, especially those where it was the royals who hosted it.

And almost all the big shots who were present, fished out their phones and made calls to their assistants.

They all have the same tasks, "Find out who Amber Wood is."

*****

"Whooo I really am not fond of this heels, we really aren't friends," Amber removed her heels the moment she entered the car with Ashton.

Ashton then handed her his coat, "Why are you only wearing that? It is already cold, you should have asked for a coat."

"Oh, there was one but I was rushing and I had forgotten about it," she shrugged wearing the coat over her shoulders.

Ashton shook his head in defeat before starting the drive.

"I thought you cancelled her orders?" he soon asked.

"I thought about it and I think it would infuriate all of them even more if I, the reason for the cancellation, would be the one giving it to her insetad."

"And aunt Jacqueline approved of it?"

Amber looked at him while her eyes were laughing, "He was fuming at me. But he still gave it in the end."

"You really are something else," he said as he reached out and patted her head.

"Why do you love doing that? I am not a child."

Ashton just half smiled at her before looking back at the road.

One hand on the steering wheel while the other was propped on the side, with his head leaning on his fist.

The half smile once again made Amber to stare at him and the way he drives.

Thinking back, this was the first time she saw him in his suit and all, after six years. All he wore since she barged in his office were casual attires.

His hair that was fixed a while ago was a bit messy after he run his fingers through them while they walk back to his car.

With all these, she actually found him... cool.

Feeling her stare he looked back at her and furrowed his brows before looking back to the road, "What is it? Have you fallen in love with me?"

"Didn't I already told you the very first time I cooked for you? I know how to admire the beauties of this world," Amber didn't shy away this time.

Ashton shook his head and the half smile turned full.

The moment he saw her a while ago, he felt like everything in the wedding turned into a blur. She was really beautiful, inside and out.

"Come on man, don't go catching me off guard with your smiles."

Ashton couldn't help but laugh with her remark and only stopped upon seeing Amber staring at him once again.

"What is it this time?"

"It's just, this is the first time I saw you laugh," Amber replied with a smile and a shrug.

He didn't comment and just continued driving, but she was right, it felt so long for him, since the last time he actually laughed like this.

"This night is quite refreshing for me as well."

Amber opened the window, not caring even if the wind was cold.

"Why?"

"Seeing some of them? Seeing that they are fine? That I can still get back at them? I really don't know but I do feel refreshed."

The smile on her lips didn't fade, it felt weird that she feels this way about her enemies.

"Your anger a while ago has disappeared?"

"That surge came because I finally met them in flesh, but that was it. I will never show it to them, my anger and my hatred. But I will never let them go."

The car fell into a comfortable silence after her words. She enjoyed the cold wind despite her cheeks turning red.

Ashton didn't stop her and allowed her to stay feeling good.

"Hey Ashton-"

"Ash."

Amber looked back at him.

"You have already called me Ash a while ago, just keep doing it. In exchange, I'll call you Thalie."

Amber just stared at him upon hearing the nickname she had long forgotten.