Ch. 101..105: Charmed by the Billionaire CEO Chapter 101-105

Chapter 101: Sleep with me

Alice was so disturbed the entire day that she couldn’t concentrate on her work. Dylan’s words kept ringing in her ears, and she felt the same fear surge with each passing second.

’You will be my wife only by the name. Your father sold you in exchange for the ranking he would earn after our company gets merged. There is nothing called love between us, Alice’s those words kept playing in her mind, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying hard to forget everything that happened back then.

Her eyes welled up as she recalled his harsh words, and she broke down, letting her tears fall. She didn’t want to go through it again. She tried to suppress this pain.

"Why... why is he making me recall those bad times" Alice cried silently, clutching her heart. She felt her chest pain and her breath hitched as slowly her mind began to turn frizzy.

She gasped but felt restricted as her hand began to tremble and sweat broke out on her forehead.

Alarmed, Alice looked for her bag frantically. She needed the medicine before she broke down. Trembling, she stood up and looked everywhere inside the cabin when her eyes fell on the handbag on the couch, and she stumbled while taking the steps there before picking it up.

She quickly opened it, took out the medicines, and gulped them with water. It was the only way she would keep herself sane, and she needed them.

Slumping on the couch, Alice finally began to feel better and her hands shivering stopped, and her vision cleared. Taking a few deep breaths, she steadied herself and stood up.

"I won’t let him play with me this time," she kept saying to herself when her phone buzzed. Noah texted her, saying he was outside the studio waiting for her.

Unknowingly, a smile appeared on her lips, and she wiped her face, leaving no fear in it, and picked up her bag before leaving.

****

Outside

Noah stood by his car, leaning leisurely, waiting for Alice. He had finished his work on time and rushed to pick her up.

’What taking her so long,’ he thought, looking at the time and looking ahead when Alice stepped out.

Noah watched her come toward him, and the first thing he noticed was her puffy eyes.

’Did she cry’ he thought and saw her stop before him.

Alice pursed her lips, making sure she won’t mess up, and put on a smile without meeting his eyes.

"Come, let’s go" Noah didn’t ponder much and opened the door for her to get in.

Noah kept glancing at Alice inside the car and saw her looking out the window. He knew something was wrong, and she wasn’t ready to show him.

Reaching his hand, he held her hand and intertwined their fingers which caught her attention, and she turned to see him in surprise.

Noah smiled at her and brought her hand before he kissed it and rested it on his heart.

Alice wasn’t expecting him to be this sweet to her. As she was busy pondering her thoughts on his action, she heard him say," Alice, I know we are not that close yet for you to share your problems with me. But as your friend, I am always there for you" he looked into her eyes being loyal to his words.

Alice could see he wasn’t teasing her; unknowingly, she nodded.

There were so many things about her life that she wanted to bottle up and never share with anyone. She tried to keep it hidden somewhere in the corner of her heart.

She wasn’t an open book and feared Noah would end up judging her.

Noah smiled and held her hand close to his heart until they reached home. He had already decided to spend his time with Alice and give her the comfort she had missed throughout her life.

Alice was like a child who craved love and affection. She might mask being unaffected by anyone or act like she didn’t care, but he knew she was trying to keep herself from getting hurt.

Reaching the doorstep, Noah was about to bid her by when she stopped him and said," Sleep with me" her words came out without any filter, which shocked Noah.

"W-what did you say?" he asked in anticipation.

"Sleep with me," she said again, raising her head and looking deep into his eyes.

Noah didn’t know what she meant, but one thing he understood was she needed him. Without hesitating, he nodded his head, and they headed to her apartment.

*****

Knight mansion

Grace looked at the cell phone in her hand, still contemplating whether she should call Dante or not. Even though Trevor had told her to take the first step, she still couldn’t bring herself to make a call.

Fidgeting her brain, she finally called the number, and the bell rang. Grace could feel her heart pump rapidly because it was the first time she had finally let go of her grudge against her father and taken a wise step to mend their relationship.

Tapping her feet in anxiousness, Grace waited for Dante to answer her call. But even after continuous ringing, he didn’t pick up the call, which dropped her heart.

’Maybe I started to expect too much,’ she thought and ended the call.

He had been protecting her all these years without asking anything in return. He fulfilled all his responsibility as her father by providing them with everything they needed for a living.

Even if he never once voiced it but she knew all her educational fees and daily needs were fulfilled by him.

Grace sighed in defeat and kept her cell phone back. She knew it wasn’t that simple because the bridge she had created between them wouldn’t fill so quickly. All these years she ignored him, then wasn’t it his turn now to forgive her?

When her phone rang, Grace was about to get up, and she immediately picked up the call without looking at the name.

"Grace," she heard her father’s voice, and her eyes welled up.

He sounded like a weak, defeated, and lonely person. Grace could feel the helplessness in his voice, and she slumped on the couch, crying her heart out.

"D-dad" for the first time in her life, she called him her father and broke down even more.

Trevor stood by the door frame and witnessed everything. He let her be as it was finally the day when she dropped her pride and called her father leaving behind all the grudge she carried for him in her heart.

*****

Hyatt residency

Ashley’s room

The couple lay on the bed after having dinner and cuddled. Ashley enjoyed the movie-watching time with Tristan, who was more interested in her than in the movie.

She would try to stop him, but he wasn’t someone who was going to listen, and instead of watching the movie, they ended up kissing each other.

"How was the movie" Tristan grinned and pulled her closer.

"Did you allow me to watch it" Ashley slapped his arm and snuggled closer into his chest.

"How can I concentrate on the movie when my sexy wife sits with me? There was no way I could fully focus on anything when you were beside me." Tristan told the truth.

It was tough for him to focus on anything else when Ashley was around. He would forget the entire world if she stood in front of him.

"Very funny," Ashley remarked and saw him arch his brow.

"You don’t believe me?" he asked and saw her shake her head.

Tristan was surprised at how she still doubted his intention, but he didn’t take it into his heart because he knew she was teasing him.

"You might not believe it, but whatever I said is the truth. You have me wrapped around your finger Ash, and I don’t seem to look any other way apart from you."

Ashley didn’t answer him because she knew everything he said was true. Tristan would never tease her when expressing his love for her.

They kept quiet for a while when she heard Tristan say." Ash," he called her.

"Hmm"

Tristan wanted to tell her about his life, but he feared she wouldn’t take it positively.

Ashley looked up and saw him in deep thought. Cupping his face, she made him look at her." You want to say something?" she asked.

Tristan watched her eager eyes looking hopefully at him. Was it the right time to tell her everything, or will she end up hating him?

He looked at her for a while and shook his head. No, he couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t see the hateful gaze which would loathe him.

"Nothing. Let’s sleep," he said and turned to wrap his arm around her hand, pulling her closer.

He wouldn’t tell her anything until he was ready to know she wouldn’t leave him.

Ashley could feel something wasn’t right, but she didn’t push further and waited for the day he would tell her everything that was bothering him.

 

Chapter 102: Take away all your sadness

Noah looked hesitant as he watched Alice prepare the bed for them.

’So that’s what she meant,’ he thought, scratching his neck and pursing his lips. What did he think when she said to sleep with her?

"Which side do you want to take," Alice asked, straightening up. She ensured everything was proper in case Noah didn’t like the mess.

"A-any side would do, as long as you are comfortable," he whispered by the last word.

Noah looked at the small bed and doubted if they would fit in. Back then, when he had first shared the bed with her, Alice was almost over him, and he feared it wouldn’t be the same case this time.

He was scared of ending up doing something with her.

Alice nodded, walked to her closet, picked up her night dress, and headed toward the bathroom.

Noah removed his jacket and placed it on the couch armrest before walking toward the bed and settling down on the right side.

His mind kept chanting one thing, and that was to be good while they slept together and don’t do any mistakes which he would regret later.

Noah waited for Alice to come out and join him in bed, and just after ten minutes, Alice walked out wearing her pajama and t-shirt and joined Noah.

As soon as the side next to him sunk, Noah froze on the spot and averted his eyes to see Alice laying down next to him.

"Don’t you want to sleep?" he heard her say, and his frozen state broke. Nodding his head, he immediately lay down on his back and focused his eyes on the ceiling above.

Noah was so anxious that he felt his heart would come out of his mouth, and he would fain. It wasn’t that he hadn’t slept with her earlier, but what was different today, he couldn’t understand.

Maybe, he was too nervous because she asked him to be with her. Yes, it might be the case, or Alice wasn’t someone who would let him close to her until she wanted to.

Noah was busy fidgeting his thoughts about her when an arm wrapped around his torso and his body stiff.

Alice sensed Noah’s hesitation and was glad he didn’t think about her words into something else. She just wanted someone to calm her anxiousness, and the person who could soothe her mind and heart was him... Noah.

"Why aren’t you saying anything?" Alice asked, resting her head on his chest.

Noah slowly relaxed his body, listening to her words, and looked down. His hand automatically moved to wrap around her, and he smiled," You want me to talk to you" he asked and saw her nod.

"Umm... tell me what do want me to say," he asked.

"Anything, just keep talking to me," she said and snuggled closer, making him smile.

Alice turned into a small kid who wanted to be pampered at this moment, and Noah could gladly do it.

"You know, the entire day when I was at work, there wasn’t a minute I couldn’t stop thinking about you" Noah reached his hand under her chin and made her look at him," You have entirely captured my thoughts Alice" he concluded.

Alice melted in his arm, reaching out her hand and cupping his cheeks. She was overwhelmed with the feelings she had started to develop for him, but she also feared if she would live up to his expectations.

"Noah, will you still love me if I don’t match your expectations" she finally asked.

Alice wanted to breathe, leave behind all her bad memories, and start a new life where there wasn’t any space for her insecure thoughts. She had her demons that kept her away from reaching out for happy life.

Noah could see the wavering emotions in her eyes as if she wasn’t asking him but questioning herself. Why wasn’t she trusting her intuition and waiting for his approval?

Noah could see her slowly loosening up to him, which made him happy. But now, he wanted her to entirely give herself a chance to break free from the phase of her past and look at the new light of her life.

He wanted to remove all the pain she had bottled up inside her heart. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted to see the honest Alice who smiled without holding back, the smile that reached her eyes and bloomed her heart.

Leaning down, he kissed her and pulled back," I don’t know what happened to you back in the past Alice, but now that I know I like you, I want to give you all the happiness and treat you with care," he said with tenderness in his voice.

Noah had learned from Ashley that Alice had left her lavishing life and was living away from her toxic parents. He didn’t know what made her decide because Ashley told him it would be better if Alice talked about it. And he respected her words and didn’t bother her more.

Alice felt her eyes well up, but she covered them up and hugged him tightly before closing her eyes.

"I am not that easy to love, Noah. You will end up getting tired of me one day," she muttered slowly.

Alice had once made the mistake of completely giving herself to a man who didn’t care for her, leading her to destruction. If not for her little sense, her life would have turned more traumatic than it already was.

"Then test me because even if you try to brainwash me, I am never going to stop approaching you, not I will stop loving you," he declared, taking her by surprise. His hold around her tightened, and he kissed her head.

"I will take away all your sadness, Alice, and fill your life with happiness."

Alice felt like crying. It was the first time she felt secure and safe. Noah’s words weren’t shallow but like a vow he took for her, which was enough for that negative thought to disappear, and she drifted off to sleep with a clear mind.

****

Knight mansion

Grace couldn’t fall asleep the entire night after she poured her heart out listening to her father for the first time after so many years. She felt so light-hearted as if some burden was lifted from her chest; all she felt was relaxation.

She never thought talking to her father would give her so much peace. Her uneasiness flew away when she heard his voice, and she broke down the next second.

She felt terrible for not giving him a chance and kept blaming him for the incident, which wasn’t his fault.

"Okay now, let’s just forget about the past," she said, brushing off the thoughts and a smile on her lips.

"Darling, why are you smiling?" Trevor’s voice came from her side, and she turned to look at him.

"Honey, should we go and meet dad" Grace was so excited after talking to her father that she didn’t want to waste any second going and talking to him personally.

Trevor looked at Grace, who seemed excited to meet Dante but feared the revelation about his health would break her.

Was it the right time to tell her everything? Trevor thought and looked at his wife.

Grace looked so happy, and he didn’t have the heart to take back her happiness. It would be better if Dante himself told her everything.

Nodding his head, he agreed to take her to meet her father. Grace was so happy that she quickly climbed from bed and rushed to get ready.

"Such a kid," Trevor muttered, looking at his excited wife, who was still young at heart and never aged.

He quickly texted Tristan, informing him everything about Dante and Grace, sorted differences, and then called Karl, asking him to prepare a private plane for them.

******

Tristan’s cabin

Tristan smiled, looking at the text his father sent him, and he finally heaved a sigh of relief.

"Finally seeing the hope," he said, placing his phone back on the table and looking at Karl, who stood before him.

"Did you prepare the private plane?" he asked, seeing him nod.

Karl was fast with his work and didn’t like to delay anything, which is why Tristan depended on him. He could get him without even uttering a word, and his order would have been followed the next second.

"Madam finally agreed to forgive grandpa Dante" Tristan heard Karl’s words and nodded with a smile.

"They have already wasted so many years, and now it’s time to mend their relation," he said.

Karl knew everything about Dante and how complicated his relationship was with Grace. Tristan told him everything because he treated him like his brother rather than his assistant, one reason Karl was hesitant to date his sister.

Suddenly he began to feel guilty, but Gwen’s face flashed across his mind, and he relaxed.

"I hope Gwen isn’t giving you a hard time" Karl broke out from his thoughts and looked at Tristan with surprise.

"Huh?"

 

Chapter 103: Like your sister

"I hope you are guiding her properly" Tristan’s words startled him, and he nodded his head immediately.

"Yes, boss Miss Gwen is learning everything very quickly," he said and saw Tristan raise his head.

"Why do you call her formally? Call her Gwen after all; she is just like your sister" Karl felt like drinking a bottle full of vinegar.

’Sister,’ he thought and started coughing.

Tristan arched his brow and passed him the glass of water. Karl quickly gulped the water and wiped his lips before he nodded his head." Yes, boss, I will do as you say," he agreed and turned to leave when Tristan stopped him.

"Karl, are you sure you are fine with it?" his words surprised him, but he covered it up, turned to see Tristan, and nodded his head before walking out of his cabin.

Tristan kept watching at the door from where Karl walked out, and his lips curled up." Let’s see how long," he said with a smile and resumed his work.

****

Ashley’s house

After informing Miley about Benny, Ashley asks her to send some spies to check on Mrs. Albert. After whatever she witnessed, Ashley feared for the old lady’s life.

By now, Ashley was sure that Benny was kidnapped, but why? Didn’t she leave the country then? How come she was in the same city and nearby her residence?

"Ma’am, here are some images of the car which I managed to get from the CCTV footage. Since it was early morning, the road wasn’t crowded, and no one seemed to see Benny and the people who kidnapped her" Ashley took the pictures from her and looked at them carefully.

"But there is any significant clue that would lead us to where the car went" Ashley was displeased with how it was getting difficult to get hold of Benny’s whereabouts.

"Keep looking for more clues Miley. We need to get the girl as soon as possible" Miley nodded her head and left from there.

Ashley fell into deep thought and tried to remember the incident. Benny seemed like she already knew someone was following her, and she was trying her best not to get caught. So did it mean she was kidnapped before they came and took her away again?

The new revelation made Ashley shock. Benny didn’t leave the country but was taken by those people and was kept captive all these days, and more to her doubt, she felt it was Jane behind all these.

****

Jane stepped inside her room and slumped on the couch. After defeating Ashley, she managed to shine more and stand out in the magazine shoot that the team picked her as the showstopper for Masha fashions week.

She would represent Masha’s latest collection by walking on the ramp for them.

"I haven’t worked so hard my whole life," she muttered, looking at the man who was gawking at her.

Gorge was waiting for Jane in her room. He wanted to know whether or not the girl they had held captive was on her good behavior. After fooling them, he couldn’t trust her and had to appoint more men to keep an eye on her.

Jane lazily looked at the man who seemed to give her a weird look and hissed and sat straight." Why are you here again?" she asked, annoyed by him.

Gorge kept calling her now and then, asking about Benny. She was pissed that she turned off her cell phone and even entered the agency without getting caught by him.

"Can’t you be serious for once in your life, Jane" Gorge warned her and saw her scoff.

"I am helping you; that’s the proof of mine being serious" Jane wasn’t someone who liked to get ordered, but since Gorge was helping her, she couldn’t ignore his words.

Gorge had covered all her mess every time she would cause Ashley any harm. Behind the scene helped her away from any suspicious eyes.

"Oh. Is that why the girl escaped earlier" Gorge raised his voice looking at how arrogant Jane was behaving toward him.

Jane was a spoiled person, and very little was known about it. She was smart enough to hide her true face behind that kind and innocent behavior, but only Gorge knew how evil she was and would go to any extent to get what she wanted.

After getting Greg, she thought her path was clear because Greg was as famous as Ashley, but everything turned out differently the day they officially announced their relationship.

Not only was Greg labeled as a cheater, but they also dropped from every campaign. The agency had to remove him because everything turned against him then, and there was no option but to discard him.

Jane was lucky enough to be spared by that fate after whatever Greg faced. Gorge assured the board membered to give her a chance and not go with the heated audience.

Jane shut her mouth and averted her eyes from Gorge. Her mistake was that she couldn’t keep the girl captive, and she ran away, fooling them.

Gorge glared at her and heard her say," Now what do you want me to do?" she asked.

All this time, they had managed to execute their plan securely, and Gorge wanted it to go with the same flow. He tried to teach Ashley a lesson, so he just had to take baby steps rather than play big.

Until now, they couldn’t find the man with whom she had a secret relationship, which worried him a lot. There was no way in the world he could see things related to her, so why couldn’t he find that boyfriend of hers?

Gorge thought for a while and said," For now, let the girl be with us. I will let you know what to do with her after the fashion show is over," he said and left but stopped.

"Where are Greg these days? He hasn’t been picking up my calls?" Gorge turned and asked.

Jane herself was getting anxious with the way Greg was behaving these days. After that day, he hadn’t been home and liked to spend his time alone.

Even after returning home, she would find him getting drunk and yelling at her for no reason.

Gorge found her quiet and didn’t bother to ask her." Tell him I have something important for him," he said as he left the room.

Jane could only keep her mouth shut and think about Greg’s change in behavior.

****

Alice’s room

Alice snuggled closer to Noah and slowly opened her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat looking at how devilishly handsome he was.

Last night she found herself sleeping peacefully once again. His embrace was her comfort that kept her nightmares from getting into her mind.

"Don’t keep staring, or else I will kiss you" Noah’s words startled Alice, and she moved back.

Slowly opening his eyes, Noah looked at her and grinned. He had been awake for more than fifteen minutes and was busy capturing the beauty next to him.

Noah found her cute whenever he would catch her staring at him. Her cheeks would instantly turn red, and she would widen her eyes in shock.

Pinching her cheeks, he propped up, balancing himself on his elbow, and leaned closer to her. Her eyes widened, and she moved back." Noah, what are you trying to do?" she asked, pushing her best not to move a little far or else she would end up landing on the floor.

"What do you think I am doing, Alice" pinning her down on the bed, Noah hovered her completely, taking her by surprise.

"Have you ever thought how hard it is for me to keep myself in control" his eyes turned dark, and he moved closer to her face.

"Your simple touch ignites the fire in me, and that one thing is enough for me to lose my mind."

She closed her eyes as she couldn’t take his intense gaze. Her heart was beating so fast, and her body could feel the heat he emitted under him. H

Noah slowly pressed deeper into her until their nose touched and their lips were just an inch apart." You make me go crazy, Alice" his hot breath fanned on her cheek, and she opened her eyes only to see him capture her lips.

Her anxiousness flew out from the window, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving in to a passionate kiss. Their tongue danced inside their mouths, tangling, liking, sucking the breath out of each other.

It was only then they parted when Noah felt Alice run out of breath as she gasped. He pulled back and rested their forehead together.

"I will stop for now, but the day you give me, I promise to show you a new paradise" his intense eyes intimidated her, and she could tell that his words weren’t playful and he truly meant it.

Chapter 104: He is really your man

Pulling away, he smirked and pinched her cheeks. Alice was confused about how quickly his mood changed from serious to playful. It felt like he had a switch on and off, giving different mood swings.

Smirking, he climbed down from the bed and walked out of the room, leaving Alice alone on the bed to calm her beating heart.

"I will surely pass out next time," she said, patting her cheeks, bringing her out from the daze, climbing down the bed, and rushing to the bathroom.

*****

Ashley was looking at the pictures trying to find any clue, but even after observing them thoroughly, she couldn’t get any significant indication.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she sighed. It was getting so hard for them to track the car. They couldn’t even get on the number plate enough to reach the place or locate where the car went.

Ashley was busy finding ways to find any clue related to Benny when her phone began to ring. Averting her eyes toward the phone on the table, she frowned.

"Whose number is this?" she rejected and ignored the call as the number was unknown but even after doing that her phone rang again.

Annoyed, she picked up the call and said," Who’s this?"

"...."

Ashley narrowed her eyes when she didn’t hear anyone speak from the other side. She was about to end the call when she heard Greg’s voice," Ashley."

Her eyes instantly turned cold, and she asked," How did you get my number, Greg?"

Ashley had ensured she kept herself away from the people who hurt her. She had blocked Greg’s number, knowing how he kept calling her and asking her to meet him.

Greg was sitting in his room, drowning himself in alcohol. Even after signing a contract with another agency, he could get back the same recognition he received when he was with Ashley.

Ashley had been his success ladder, and after cheating on her, he found his career crumbling like a sand castle. He thought Jane would be helpful to him, but even her career was saved because of Gorge, or else they didn’t know where they would have landed.

He lost all his savings to keep this house as a shelter.

Ashley waited for him to say something, but when he didn’t, she sighed and was about to end the call when he heard him speak," Who is that man, Ashley."

Ashley sensed the displeased in his voice, and her eyes turned blank. Wasn’t he who posted her pictures with Tristan claiming that she cheated on him even when they were in a relationship? Then why was he asking her?

"You already know the answer, Greg. Why would you ask it?" Ashley wasn’t going to play games like him, and she knew he already knew everything except finding the man was Tristan.

Greg chuckled but soon his smile faded, and his eyes turned darker." Then my accusation was correct. He is really your man" his hold on his phone tightened.

Greg felt inferior when he saw Ashley happy with the mysterious man. That day when he stumbled with her at the restaurant, she saw her smile, just like the person in a love act.

She even went on ignoring him and walked away without wasting a single second. That was the first time he had seen Ashley was already over him, and that stabbed his heart.

In these two years of relationship, he had seen her taking care of his every need. She helped him build his career, but he was the one who got distracted by Jane’s reflex toward him.

Jane provided him sexual pleasure, which he always wanted from Ashley. But her being oblige made him reach out to Jane even more, and he cheated on her.

Greg wasn’t sorry because he hoped Ashley would come begging him and ask him not to leave her. But when it didn’t happen, he went off announcing his relationship with Jane. And after that, his entire world turned upside down.

Ashley moved on to find a man for herself, and he was left with nothing but struggle and Jane, who kept clinging to him like a bug.

Ashley didn’t say anything and kept silent, which irked him even more.

" That’s why you were avoiding me in the restaurant because you wanted to be with that man", Greg spoke with venom. He was pissed watching Ashley happy with that man.

Ashley didn’t heed his rant and said," If you are going to talk nonsense, then there is nothing to talk about. I am swamped to answer you."

"You can keep hiding, Ashley, but I will expose that man’s face. You can’t forever keep your relationship hidden," Greg warned and heard her chuckle.

"You are such a delusional person Greg. I feel pity for you" her words made him frown, and he raised his voice," Ash..."

"Do not raise your voice on me, Greg. I won’t tolerate it," Ashley cut in and continued," You and Jane have been scheming against me but even after doing so much, did you both succeed," she asked, letting out a disgusting chuckle.

Greg was tongue-tied. He knew his plan to defame Ashley had backfired, and they still didn’t know how. The portals that posted the articles about her and the mysterious man were taken down within an hour, and the fire he had lit extinguished within a day.

He asked his spy James to find out who was behind it, but even after using it, he couldn’t find anything.

"I think it’s time for you both to save your crumbling career, or else you will be left with nothing but shame," she said and ended the call without waiting for his answer.

Greg fumed in anger and threw the phone on the floor. Her words pierce like needles making him furious. Ashley had become more fierce and blunt with her words, which irked him even more.

’Was that man so good that she even began to raise her voice on him’ he thought and walked out of the room in anger.

****

Ashley rubbed her temple. Her mood was already sour, and now Greg had worsened it even more. She had made sure she wouldn’t let Greg or Jane affect her thoughts but Greg being so adamant about knowing about Tristan made her think if he would let go of this matter or not.

She already knew it was Greg who had sent someone to spy on her and to find out about her and Tristan. But luckily, that man couldn’t capture Tristan’s face, and she was saved.

But will Greg stop there, or will he go deeper in finding out about Tristan? Couldn’t she tell? There was nothing for her to be scared about.

With Greg being jobless, there wasn’t any resource for him to hire a spy again, which was enough to ease her heart. But she can’t completely ignore his warning.

Greg can go to any extent if he makes up his mind, and they must be alert.

*****

Karl’s cabin

After walking out of Tristan’s cabin, Karl could concentrate on his work. Tristan’s words kept replaying in his mind.

"Sister", he muttered, closed his eyes, and opened them," How can I treat my girlfriend as my sister" Karl felt like crying.

He wanted to punch himself for agreeing to his boss’s words knowing he wouldn’t bring himself up and treating Gwen as his sister when he loved her." Idiot," he cursed himself under his nose.

"Idiot, why would you call yourself that," Gwen, who walked inside his cabin, asked.

Karl was surprised to find her standing in front of him, and that too with a frown laced on her forehead.

"Gwen, when did you come," he asked in surprise and saw her take the chair herself.

"First, tell me why you call yourself an idiot," she asked instead.

Karl didn’t want to tell her about his conversation with Tristan earlier, so he lied." Oh, that... hehe...I was saying it just like that."

Gwen found his behaviour suspicious, and she narrowed her eyes, saying," I won’t tolerate it if you call my boyfriend an idiot" her words made him blink his eyes in confusion, and soon they both burst into laughter.

"Okay, now tell me why you are here," Karl asked.

"Oh yes, I wanted to give you this file. Brother asked me to give it to you," she said casually, and Karl froze.

Karl looked at her in confusion and took the file.

Gwen dropped her shoulder and leaned back on the chair, swaying it a little as if she thought something, and Karl noticed it immediately.

"What happened? Why are you quiet now," he asked and opened the file that Tristan gave.

Gwen thought about when she went to Tristan’s office and how he interrogated her, asking about Karl treating her better. It surprised her because she had never seen Tristan so focused when he questioned her.

"Gwen.." Karl’s voice broke her trance, and she looked at him in a daze." Huh, what?"

"Are you okay?" he asked when he saw her spacing out.

"Yes, I am," she said, brushing off her thoughts and standing up and leaving the cabin.

Karl was surprised by her lack of response and found her behaviour strange, but he quickly wiped off his doubt knowing how weird Gwen was and continued doing his work.

Chapter 105: Double crossing

Coffee shop

"Are you sure Jane would be coming here?" Alice whispered, lowering her voice, and looked at Ashley, scanning the coffee shop. They took the corner set, making sure jane wouldn’t see them.

"Miley won’t lie. She said she heard Jane talk to someone, and they would meet here."

Ashley was in her house when Miley called and informed her about Jane talking to someone secretly. She also left the agency, saying she wasn’t feeling well.

"I want to punch her face if she comes across me. I still can’t believe she will stoop so low to make others look down on you" Ashley had told Alice about everything Jane did and how she was suspicious about her being involved in Benny’s abduction.

"No, don’t ever do that. I don’t want my friend to dirty her hand by touching her" Ashley knew Alice had a bad temper and was also sure she would go and punch her if she bad-mouthed them.

Ashley was trying to calm Alice when the door of the coffee shop opened, and Jane walked in, making them stop speaking, and they hid, making sure Jane wouldn’t see them.

"She is here," Ashley said and made Alice quiet.

Just after Jane entered, a man wearing a black leather jacket walked in. He had worn a black cap and covered half his face by wearing a mask. Ashley narrowed her eyes as she couldn’t see his face.

They took the seat, skipped where Ashley was seated and settled down.

"Who is this man?" Alice whispered.

Ashley wasn’t sure, but she felt he was one of the people who took Benny away. His mysterious look was already giving her that dangerous vibe.

"He can be one of the men who abducted Benny. I am not sure" Ashley wanted to listen to their conversation, but being a seat away from them made it hard for her to catch their words.

Alice was about to say something when they heard Jane’s voice," Don’t harm the girl yet. I will inform you what to do with her after the fashion week."

Ashley frowned when she heard Jane’s words, and something inside her said it was Benny she was talking about.

"But madam, the girl doesn’t listen to us and keeps screaming. I doubt one day the people near the neighbourhood would hear her yelling," the man in the black sand.

"This girl, why can’t she stay still? Doesn’t she care about her grandmother’s life" Jane slammed her palm on the table and caught people’s eyes, but she soon covered it up by putting on an act?

Jane thought for a while and said," Start giving her anaesthesia and silence here, or else we have to move her from there and locate her elsewhere.

Jane passed him some money and asked the men to care for Benny. The man took the price and walked out of the coffee shop. A few minutes after he left, Jane took walked out.

"Do you think the girl is safe? She asked him to drug her," Alice worriedly asked and saw Ashley knit her brows, his concern too.

She quickly got up and turned to leave, followed by Alice." We need to follow that man Alice. That’s the only way we could reach Benny" Ashley quickly rushed out of the shop and entered the car.

She was sure the man hadn’t gone too far because she didn’t see him come with any vehicle, meaning the man lived nearby, or perhaps Benny was somewhere nearby.

Ashley quickly started the car and drove to a distance from where she saw the man leave the shop. She kept looking at the road when her eyes caught the sight of the man entering the pharmacy.

"Look, he is there" Alice also saw the man and stopped the car, watching him step out of the pharmacy.

"What should we do know?" Alice asked, looking at Ashley, whose eyes observed the man as he walked away.

"Ash, that man is going", Alice squealed, watching the man vanish from their eyesight.

"Shh... don’t yell" Ashley covered her mouth and stopped her from speaking.

"I don’t think we would find Benny here" Ashley sighed and pointed at the car that followed the man’s direction.

Alice’s eyes widened in shock and averted toward Ashley in horror. Getting her to look, she nodded and dropped her hand from her mouth.

"She is following him" Alice was shocked to see Jane’s car passing by their car and going in the direction the man went.

"Does it mean she saw us?" Alice muttered.

"No, she didn’t. I saw her car just when he walked out of the pharmacy shop. I think she wants to make sure no one is following him" Alice blew out air and closed her eyes, sighing in relief.

"Thank god. I thought she saw us" Alice couldn’t believe Jane to be so smart that she even followed the man she hired to abduct Benny.

Ashley didn’t say anything and drove the car back to her apartment.

*****

Ashley’s apartment

"Jane is such a cunning lady. She followed the man to ensure he wasn’t double-crossing her" Alice was quite surprised to see Jane’s car passing them.

Luckily they didn’t step out, or else she would’ve seen them.

Alice looked at Ashley and saw her in deep thought." What is going on in your mind?" she asked.

"I don’t know, but I have a feeling that after Jane finishes up walking the ramp, she would let go of Benny just like that"

"What do you mean?" Alice frowned.

Ashley gave her a horrifying look, and that alarmed her." D-does it means she would kill her once she is of no use to her"

Ashley didn’t want to think that way, but what she heard while she instructed that man made her feel the same.

"She knows once they let go of Benny, we would find her, and if she exposes her deed, then it would again affect her image, and that would lead to huge damage to her career, and she wouldn’t let that happen."

"Then how will we find Benny Ash? Her life is in danger" Alice felt terrible for the young girl who was pulled into the mess Jane had planted, and she was so evil that she wanted to erase the girl’s existence once she had set her foot back in the modelling world.

Ashley felt so helpless at the moment. They could’ve followed the man and questioned him, but they had no backup. And then there was Jane, who was keeping an eye on everyone involved with her in this plan.

She thought for a while and picked up her phone to make want a call to Miley. After instructing her something, she ended the call and looked at Alice, who gave her a weird look.

"You think this will work," she asked and saw her sigh.

" Just hope for the best" was all Ashley could say.

*****

Jane returned home after ensuring everything was under control and entered Greg’s room." Huh, where did he go?" she muttered, looking at the space.

Greg had been acting differently, and his behaviour was bothering her. She wanted to ask him if something was bothering him, but whenever she went to him, she always found him passed out somewhere in his room.

Taking her phone out, she made a call, but he didn’t pick it up, making her more anxious.

"Why isn’t he answering the calls."

Jane was about to step out when Greg walked inside. He was sober and drunk like he had been these few days.

Her face instantly brightened up, and she ran to him and hugged him," Greg, why weren’t you answering my calls? I was so worried."

Greg pulled her apart from the hug and pursed his lips." I am sleepy, Jane," he said and walked past, leaving her behind and entering his room.

Jane looked at the closed door and felt disheartened. Greg was acting strange, but why. What was he hiding from her, and where did he go at this hour?

She had no answer for it because Greg just ignored her concern and left her like her worries didn’t matter to him.

Was he losing his interest in me? She couldn’t help but think.

Jane knew Greg was only with her for sexual pleasure because even after breaking up with Ashley, she couldn’t see that love in his eyes.

They had sex every day, and all she could see from his action was pure lust for her. Jane didn’t care about giving him pleasure because it was the only way to keep him close to her, and it was the only reason he left Ashley because she didn’t satisfy his needs and wants.

But now, his lack of interest in her was scaring the shit out of her. What will she do if he loses interest in her and finds someone better? Then what would happen to her?

Jane had gone through a lot of hardship to have him by her side, and now when he is finally with her, she can’t lose him,