Flash Marriage to a Stunning CEO (Alistair and Richard) novel Chapter 37

1/10

The sky was clear, the clouds sparse, and the water shimmered under the midday sun.

By the lake, the open lawn buzzed with life. Children flew kites, dogs tugged at leashes, and couples strolled lazily along the winding paths.

Willow branches drooped over the shore, tipped with new spring leaves, and trees Alistair couldn’t name burst with white and blush–pink blossoms. The air smelled fresh and sweet- grass, petals, sunlight.

Eloise bounced along the rustic wooden bridge, holding Mabel’s hand and giggling with each step.

Alistair followed Caroline at a measured pace, his expression relaxed, but every muscle in his body coiled tight. His senses. were sharpened to a point–ears tuned for disruption, eyes flicking over every shadow.

It might’ve been spring, but the lake water was still freezing.

If someone as sturdy as him fell in, he’d likely get sick. Mabel, elderly and fragile, would fare far worse.

Preston, that smug little opportunist, he’d really risk her life just to play hero?

Chapter 37 Drone Crisis

There were people scattered along the lake’s edge–fishing, walking, chatting–but Alistair was certain Preston was somewhere nearby. If he wanted to swoop in at the perfect moment and save the day, he couldn’t be far.

2/10

Alistair’s gaze swept the scene. A man in a fisherman’s hat sat nearby, watching his line.

Another young couple laughed and flirted beneath a blossoming tree. None of them screamed “Preston Vaughn,” but that didn’t matter. He’d never seen the man. Neither had Caroline–at least not well enough to recognize him.

If I can’t pick him out, I’ll just keep watch. He won’t get the chance.

What Alistair couldn’t figure out was how Preston planned. to pull it off. How could he push Mabel into the lake without

raising suspicion?

It had to be subtle, deniable, a freak accident…

An out–of–control dog? A runaway kite? A sudden shove disguised as chaos?

Beside him, Caroline caught his constant scanning and tilted her head. “Are you bored?”

He shook his head. “No. The view’s actually… really beautiful.”

She hesitated, clearly wanting to say more, and then let it go.

Chapter 37 Drone Crisis

If he wasn’t ready to open up, she wasn’t going to pry.

3/10

Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was weighing on him.

It’s going to take time. I knew that from the start.

Then Alistair caught movement. The man in the fisherman’s

hat stood and began walking–straight toward them. Slowly and casually.

That’s him. It has to be. The timing’s too perfect.

Alistair’s instincts flared.

The area was calm. No loose dogs. No kites. Mabel was still within his line of sight, and aside from standing too close to the edge, she wasn’t in any obvious danger. Yet.

Then a girl—small, waifish–started weaving her way toward the bridge, her gait loose and a bit odd.

At this point, anyone or anything–approaching the area was at potential threat in Alistair’s eyes.

Why assume Mabel would fall because of some accident or distraction? What if it’s not about a dog or a kite at all? What if it’s a person–someone unstable, unpredictable?

As long as it ended with Preston pulling Mabel out of the water and earning himself a debt of gratitude, it didn’t matter how she fell in.

Chapter 37 Drone Crisis

Trailing behind the girl… was someone else.

4/10

Alistair’s eyes narrowed just as a low buzzing filled the air–faint at first, and then rising fast, from somewhere overhead.

He looked up, and it hit him all at once.

A drone. It dropped from the sky in a sharp, sudden descent, heading straight for Mabel.

Shit. That’s it. That’s how they’ll do it.

If it hit her, she’d fall into the lake. And right on cue, Preston would “miraculously” arrive to pull her out–earning himself a permanent seat at the Ashbourne table.

The drone was nearly on her now. Mabel flinched, already stumbling back.

Eloise squeaked, “Granny!”

Alistair moved. One second he was watching, and the next he was flying across the grass. He reached them in two strides and yanked both Mabel and Eloise back just as the drone smacked into the lake, sending up a geyser of water.

They landed hard but safe.

Crisis averted.

And then, right on schedule, a man came tearing across the lawn

Chapter 37 Drone Crisis

like a sprinter at the Olympics. He was too late.

5/10

But if Alistair’s instincts were right, he was Preston, the same man trailing behind the girl.

Alistair looked over, and their eyes met. The man’s face was a mess of panic and frustration. He didn’t even have time to hide. it. Alistair had beaten him to the punch–and he knew it.

“Granny! Are you okay?”

Eloise was shaking, but her first thought was still Mabel.

“I’m alright, sweetheart,” Mabel whispered, brushing back Eloise’s curls. “Don’t cry.”

Caroline knelt beside them, pulling her daughter into her arms. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Mabel said, stealing a glance at the lake. “Thanks to Alistair. Otherwise, I’d be out here giving the fish a bath–and at my age, I’m not sure I’d’ve made it back to dry land.”

Caroline finally allowed herself to breathe. If Mabel still had the spirit to make jokes, she really was okay.

“Are you alright, Madam Ashbourne?”

It was the young man–Preston, presumably–approaching now, his voice polite, but Mabel’s expression turned cold the moment she saw him. “I’m fine.”

Well, I’ll be damned. Maybe it really has to be Alistair.

7/10

If she doesn’t like anyone, then no one has the edge. Right? That just means I’ve got time.

Preston hesitated, eyes darting away from Caroline’s. “I… I came to apologize.”