Ch. 111..115: Charmed by the Billionaire CEO Chapter 111-115
Chapter 111: You are doomed
"Do you want me to drop you home?" Tristan asked.
His words made Ashley pull away from him, and she shook her head," No. I want to meet Jane first," she said and saw him nod his head.
Tristan instructed the driver to drive to the police station where Jane was taken. As the car stopped, Ashley asked Tristan to wait for her in the car," I will be quick," she said and hopped out of the car before heading inside the station.
***
Inside the cell
"Let me go" Jane yelled from behind bars asking the cops to let her go.
She had lost her mind the moment cops dragged her to the station. It happened so quickly that she couldn’t even react.
"I am innocent. Ashley is lying," she screamed, slamming her hands on the bars when her eyes caught the sight of a woman appearing in front of her. Slowly lifting her eyes, she saw Ashley, and her blood began to boil in anger.
"How dare you do this to me, Ash" Jane’s eyes burned in rage as she watched Ashley take a step toward her, and she stood there crossing her arms.
Ashley raised her brow, amazed by her accusation." You bought it for yourself, Jane. If you haven’t played dirty, I would still have spared you."
Jane held the bars tightly and fumed in anger. Her eyes were burning, and her hands were itching. If it were in her hands, she would have killed Ashley after what she did to her.
Ashley watched Jane and saw only hate for her in her eyes. She didn’t remember when Jane turned out to be so evil that she couldn’t differentiate between good and bad.
"You think I will let you win against me? No, Ashley," Jane spoke with utter hate in her voice. But Ashley wasn’t surprised at all. Jane would never accept her failure.
"I will snatch everything from you. I will come and make you pay for whatever you did to me" Jane raised her voice like a crazy person and started laughing madly.
"You wait and watch. I will soon come back and make your life hell. I am not going to let you win, Ash" Jane’s smile disappeared, and her eyes turned cold as she gritted her teeth in anger.
Ashley smirked and shook her head at Jane’s external threat. Heaving out a sigh, she dropped her hand and took another step ahead, and leaned forward a little," You think after your crimes being accepted by yourself, there is any way you will get out from the prison? Get out of your delusional world and accept the reality, Jane. You are doom" she made her words clear by the end and moved bad straightening her back.
Jane’s eyes widened in shock, watching Ashley in horror." No... you are lying. I never confessed. You are lying..." Jane wasn’t ready to accept. She had no idea that her video was taken, and she had already accepted her crime.
"Think as you wish" Ashley shrugged her shoulder and didn’t ponder much on her mental breakdown. She wasn’t going to be kind to her, not after what she did.
"Tell me you are lying. Tell me you are only trying to fool me," Jane began to mutter, not ready to grasp her words. There was no way Ashley was telling the truth.
"I wish I could say that, but-" she stopped, her eyes turning dark.
"You deserve this after doing so many bad things" saying Ashley turned without sparing another glance at her and walked away from there.
Jane couldn’t believe what she had heard. How can she confess her crime?
"No, she is lying... she is fooling me so that she could win" Jane slammed her hands on the bar angrily and yelled her lungs out." You are lying, Ashley.... you are a liar."
Jane screamed, but there wasn’t anyone to listen to her, and the next moment she slummed on her ground in shock.
"No... I can’t lose to her. I won’t accept it. I can’t lose to her," Jane mumbled, talking to herself as if she had lost her mind and was not ready to accept her defeat.
****
Outside
Getting inside the car, Ashley slumped back in her seat and closed her eyes. Jane deserved it, and Ashley knew it but wasn’t happy at all. Jane was a nice girl, but because of her jealousy towards her, she turned into a person who forgot everything about kindness.
Ashley tried calming her restlessness when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked at the person next to her.
Tristan smiled, making her heart calm. Leaving every thought behind hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, Tristan hugged her back and slowly brushed it.
"It’s okay. You can’t always feel sorry for everyone," he said, knowing she was feeling bad for being so heartless towards Jane.
"But she deserved it," he heard her say, and she pulled back from the hug.
Ashley knew there was nothing wrong with whatever she did to Jane. If she wasn’t taught a lesson earlier, she wouldn’t stop her evilness and kept making the same mistakes her entire life.
Maybe being in prison would help to become a good person back again. Ashley knew Jane wasn’t bad, but her jealousy towards her made her the person she is today.
She wanted to win against her in every aspect, which made her do things that led to the wrong path, and now she only hoped this punishment would bring back the old Jane who was lost in the world of envy and greed.
Ashley finally composed herself, brushing off her thoughts, and they drove away from there.
Tristan dropped Ashley home and drove back to the company. He had some work, but he told her he would finish it soon and join her at home.
*****
Inside the house
"Your charges are dropped, but since you were found guilty of helping Jane, you would be on blacklisted for a year to work anywhere" Ashley listened to what Miley said, and her eyes looked at the girl, who lowered her head in guilt.
Benny didn’t dare to look up because she regretted doing wrong to Ashley. Even after knowing what she did with her, Ashley came to her rescue and helped her out from that isolated place.
"I am already grateful that you forgive me. It means a lot" she finally raised her head and looked at Ashley.
People had always misunderstood Ashley. They called her an arrogant, rude and prideful person, but no one knew how kind-hearted soul she was. If she had held grudges against her, she would have done the same thing she did to Jane but didn’t. Ans she would forever be grateful for her.
Ashley could tell Benny was genuinely regretting whatever she did, and now she had learned her lesson. She joined with Jane in greed to earn money and lead a good life but now understood that money cannot achieve everything.
Humanity should always play an important role in everyone’s life, and now she understands it.
After apologizing to Ashley for her wrongdoings, Benny and her grandmother leave her place.
Mrs. Albert wanted to leave the city and return to their hometown, where they would lead a normal life away from all this mess.
Benny, too didn’t object and agreed to her words. She also wanted to start her life, forgetting everything that happened to her and leading a simple life.
****
"Sigh!! It was a tiring day" Ashley stretched her neck and sat on the couch lazily.
"Ma’am, Masha’s PR team wants you as the show topper. They are even ready to apologize for dropping you without any solid proof against you" Miley received the call as soon as the news channel telecasted Ashley’s life and how she proved her innocence.
They were begging Ashley to consider them again and get back on board.
Thinking for a while, she said," Tell them I am in, only after a public apology is made"
Miley nodded her head and got up, excusing herself from there. Ashley was a good person to everyone. She had already expected the team to contact her as soon as she cleared her name, but she wasn’t going to give in just like that.
They were unprofessional when they replaced her with Jane without solid proof, so she wouldn’t let go of them this easily. If they wanted her back, then they had to apologize.
****
Greg returned home after finding the news about Jane being taken into custody by the cops. At first, he couldn’t believe it, but when Gorge called him to confirm it, he felt the ground beneath him slip away.
He thought of going and meeting Jane, but Gorge warned him not to act recklessly or else the cops would get suspicious of him. So he did the latter and decided to return home.
Chapter 112: Officially a couple
Evening
Tristan returned home as promised. He wanted to celebrate Ashley’s victory, so he asked Noah and Alice to join them.
All four have settled in the living area and were busy chatting about the incident.
"I just wanted to see Jane’s face after getting dragged by the cops," Alice sneered without feeling pity for Jane. She would’ve clapped in enjoyment if she had witnessed that.
Jane was a cunning lady with exceptional manipulating skills and wouldn’t feel bad if she suffered more.
Ashley didn’t say anything knowing Alice would’ve seriously ended up dancing there if she had been present at that moment.
Shaking her head, she brushed off her imagination and looked at Tristan, who winked at her. Her eyes widened when he shamelessly teased her when their friends were around.
Giving him a warning look, she asked him to stop only to find him shrugging his shoulder,
"Okay, let’s not talk about her and spoil our mood. I have something important to say" Noah’s voice broke their attention, and they turned to see him standing while his eyes were fixated on Alice.
Alice blushed, looking at everyone’s eyes and covering her face. ’This is so embarrassing,’ she muttered and didn’t dare to look up.
Noah, who had been on cloud nine the entire day, wanted to scream his lungs out and declare to the whole world, but he composed his excitement and took a deep breath before saying," Alice and I are officially a couple."
As soon as he finished saying those words, he heard Alice squeal in embarrassment but what shocked her more was the lack of reaction from the other two who were with them.
Uncovering her face, Alice looked up and found Ashley and Tristan’s unbothered expressions.
"Aren’t you both surprised?" she asked, looking at them, especially Ashley, who seemed to be calm with a glint of shock on her face.
Ashley leaned back lazily and crossed her legs as she shrugged her shoulder," Why would I be shocked when it was me who guided him all along to woo you" her words made Alice drop her mouth in shock.
She snapped and looked at Noah, who grinned like a fool and sat back hesitatingly.
"It isn’t surprising for me too, because this fool was already obvious about his feeling toward you. It didn’t take time for me to know that he was falling for you" Alice felt like someone had poured cold water on her.
Alice never thought Noah would ask Ashley to help him in wooing her. It came like a complete shock for her.
Alice glared at Noah and was about to punch him when Ashley stopped her," Don’t... I will twist your arm if you dare touch him, Alice." she warned, and her hand stopped in the air. Noah cringed, looking at what was about to happen.
"Ugh!!!" she grunted in anger and dropped her hand.
Holding his heart, Noah moved back, taking the other end of the couch to keep himself safe from Alice’s sudden mood change.
"You all knew about it, then why didn’t you say it to me" Alice whined, huffing in anger. She crossed her arm without looking at anyone.
"Drop that act of yours and cheer up" Ashley knew it wasn’t for long before Alice would drop her anger and get back to normal.
Alice whined to slumming her shoulder in defeat," But still, you should have said it."
"So you could bully him more," Ashley countered back, making her shut her mouth.
Ashley was aware of what kind of a bully Alice was. Though she flirted with many men, she even bullied them for being incapable of handling a woman in that process.
She could never accept her fault and blame those flings for being incompatible with her.
Alice rolled her eyes and scoffed," I don’t bully. And if you had told it to me earlier, I wouldn’t have hurt him in the first place."
Noah knew what she was talking about. She felt guilty for doubting him and the words she had said back then.
Pouting, he moved back again, wrapped his arm around Alice’s shoulder, and kissed her cheek," I said you don’t have to keep feeling guilty. I already forgave you."
"I know, but still, I said those words, and it hurt you" the couple forgot there were two more people with them who were now eating dog food, witnessing their PDA.
"Okay, now you both just stop" Tristan’s cold voice broke their moment, and he heard Noah scowl," Such a mood spoiler," he remarked, only to get a glare in return.
They ended up chatting for a while and then had their dinner.
****
Country X
Corner Mansion
The news about Ashley’s interview reached Trevor’s ear, and he informed about it to Grace. Both Dante and Grace were in awe, witnessing Ashley exposing Jane publicly.
"Isn’t she the same girl who is currently her ex-boyfriend girl?" Dante asked and watched Grace sneer.
"Yes, she is," she said.
When Dante learned about Tristan marrying a model with numerous scandals and controversies, he doubted if she was even compatible with him. But all his doubt disappeared when Tristan told him about her life and how she was fooled by that man who not only used her but also cheated on her with her best friend.
"Such a shame she lost a good friend in her greed" Dante could only feel pity.
With whatever he heard about Ashley from Tristan and now from Grace, he was clear with one thing. The girl had a pure heart. She was kind and caring for those who loved her and was ruthless and fierce when someone tried to provoke her.
"She doesn’t deserve a friend like Ashley. Not does that man deserve a lover like her? His loss is my son’s gain" Grace was grateful that everything fell into place, and now Ashley was her daughter-in-law.
"I wish I could meet her in person" Dante expressed his desire to meet Ashley. He wanted to meet the girl who took his grandson’s heart.
Tristan wasn’t someone who fell for anyone’s charm. Then how did Ashley manage to catch his eyes?
Grace heard his voice turn low, and she held his hand, saying," Soon, you will soon meet her dad," she assured him and saw him nod in agreement.
Grace didn’t want Dante to feel left out. Now that they had sorted out their difference, she couldn’t wait for Ashley to meet her father. Even though she was skeptical about his background, she still believed that Ashley wouldn’t judge him.
*****
Ashley’s apartment
After dinner, Alice and Noah bid goodbye and left for home. They had an amazing time together and even talked and told each other their secrets.
"I didn’t know you had so many suitors in your high school days" Ashley wrapped her arm around Tristan’s torso and laid on the bed, hugging each other.
"But I didn’t accept anyone," he said without any remorse on his face.
Ashley was surprised to know Tristan was very popular back then and that he even had girls tailing behind him for his attention. Even though it was in the past, she still couldn’t stop herself from getting jealous.
She tightened her hold around his torso and buried her face into his chest," I am jealous," she said and heard him chuckle.
She looked up and saw him smile, and that made her frown. "I am serious," she said and tried to pull away from him but failed when Tristan didn’t allow her to go.
"Do you know how cute you look right now that I want to kiss you breathlessly" Ashley pouted, rested her head on his chest, and circled her arms again around his torso?
"I so wished I would’ve met you before. I wouldn’t have wasted my time on the wrong people" Ashley was grateful that she came to meet Tristan, and her entire life changed.
He not only stopped her from going on the path of depression but also made her life more valuable. If she didn’t meet him that night, she would’ve still kept lingering on her heartbreak.
Tristan held her closer and kissed her forehead," Everything happens for a reason. If not, how would you learn who were good and bad people" she agreed with him.
She was so blinded by Greg’s fake love that she went against her father. If she had paid little attention to his alert, she would’ve left Greg earlier.
Nevertheless, she was happy now and was in a better place and around good people who loved without greed.
"You are right. I shouldn’t blame myself for whatever happened in the past because now, my present and the future are very fruitful. And I don’t want anything else, just a happy life without evil eyes on us," she said and hugged him to sleep.
Tristan couldn’t close his eyes after what he heard. She was expecting a life without any worries but little did she know, being with him would always keep her life on the edge, and the worst thing was she wasn’t even aware of it.
Chapter 113: You made me happy
Noah tailed behind Alice like a lost puppy as they entered the building and stepped inside the elevator. All this while Noah kept kissing her hand and playing with her fingers until they reached the floor.
Walking hand in hand, Alice stopped in front of her door and looked at Noah, who kept grinning like a fool.
"What? You aren’t allowed in today," Alice said plainly.
Last night she asked him to sleep with her because she wanted some comfort from him, but today, she can’t risk anything.
After officially becoming a couple, Alice’s mind began to run two steps ahead. It was fine until they kissed, but she wasn’t ready for any higher action. She wanted to take things slow, so she had to keep him on the ground.
Noah’s naughty smile disappeared, and his eyes widened in shock," Why?" he asked and watched her leave his hand.
"Because I am very tired, and I don’t want any disturbance," she said, slowly opening the door of her house and trying to sneak in when Noah blocked her.
"No, you can’t do this. I promise I won’t do anything and hug you to sleep" Noah now understood why she was not asking him to join her because she was scared they would end up doing more than kissing.
Alice looked at him with wide eyes and heard him say," I promise I won’t take a step until you allow me" his words surprised her even more.
’How can he read her mind? Was he a mind reader’ she thought and watched him look at her with hope?
Alice thought for some time and nodded but warned," You have to keep your words," She allowed him to sleep with her.
Like an obedient kid, Noah nodded his head, rushed to his apartment, and returned after getting changed.
Alice made the bed for both of them, and soon, they hopped in, ready to sleep.
A few minutes passed, but no one blinked their eyes to sleep. Alice and Noah were wide awake but didn’t utter a single word.
"Why aren’t you sleeping?" Noah asked and turned his head to see Alice looking at the ceiling above with wide-open eyes.
Sleep was something that didn’t come to Alice that easily and Noah was very well aware of it.
Alice felt his gaze on her, and she turned to face him. She couldn’t believe she was with Noah; they were finally a couple. It was just a few days back when she told herself not to get swayed again but look at her now, this man had completely taken control of her mind and was slowly capturing her heart too.
They kept looking at each other when Noah reached his hand and pulled Alice closer to him," You can ask anything from me, Alice. I will gladly give it to you."
Alice was obliged to ask him to cuddle her to sleep. She didn’t want to look desperate, but to her surprise, he had already guessed what was going on in her mind.
Resting her head on his chest, Alice hugged him. His embrace calmed her thoughts and drifted her mind and body to sleep. He had this tendency to let sleep reach her eyes; she still didn’t know how and why she would fall asleep in his arms.
She didn’t answer him because she felt intimidated by his words. He said he would give her anything she asked for, but she also wanted to be someone whom he could rely on.
"Hmm," she hummed after a long pause and found him holding her tightly.
"You made me so happy today, Alice. I couldn’t ask for anything more" Noah was doubtful that Alice was ever going to accept his love or not. He wasn’t someone anyone could trust when it came to love because he had only fooled around all his life.
But after meeting Alice, his thoughts changed, and he began to move in her path, trying to understand and know her as a person.
Noah had found her in the most vulnerable state, and that very moment made him change his heart, and he began to fall for her.
Alice heard him clearly, and her body and mind began to relax. Her eyelid turned heavy as sleep slowly took over her, and she closed her eyes but not before answering him.
"You made me happy" her words turned into whispers, and she fell asleep.
Noah heard her snore, and he looked down only to find her fast asleep." She slept again" his lips curled into a smile, and he closed his eyes, holding her closer to him, and fell asleep.
****
Greg’s place
"Ashley played it very cruel" Gorge gulped his drink angrily and slammed the glass on the table.
Greg watched him fume in rage as he kept cursing Ashley for whatever she did today.
Even Greg was shocked at how the table turned against them and how they barely escaped the destruction.
"I had warned Jane to be cautious, but that stupid girl didn’t listen to me. See where her stupidity had landed her. I doubt we will be able to get her out," Gorge said and looked at Greg, who was seated absentmindedly in front of him.
"Greg, I am saying something. For god’s sake, talk, dammit," Gorge lashed, breaking his thought, and he looked at him in a daze.
Greg had begun to understand that it was useless to fight against Ashley because he knew whatever they would do would come towards them.
Ashley was that undefeated lady who had fought many battles like this before and had come out clean without any stain on her name.
"I think we shouldn’t get involved in this anymore" Greg’s words pissed the old man, and he roared, "WHAT!!! Do you even know what you are blabbering"
Gorge wasn’t expecting Greg to give up without taking his revenge against Ashley. He had been scheming against Ashley using them, then how he can turn his back on him?
Greg could tell his words had irked him but weren’t they right?
All the time they tried to harm Ashley, she had managed to come out clean, and the ones who suffered were them.
Ashley was like a tigress who liked to play with her prey before she ended up killing it. Today it was Jane who had suffered a blow from her only attack, and she knew she wouldn’t come out from that.
Greg feared that he wouldn’t end up suffering the same fate. It was better to keep a safe distance and try to build his career with a clean background, or it was hard for them to survive with nothing in hand.
Slamming his hand on either side of the couch, Greg got up and looked at Gorge, who now had a surprised look.
"We are fighting with someone we can’t win, Gorge, and you know it better than me. You have tried getting Ashley on her knees, but have you ever succeeded? No right. So it’s better to leave it," he said, turning to leave when Gorge stopped him.
"Are you scared of getting caught, Greg" his words made him smirk, and he turned to face him," There is nothing to get scarred because she knows everything. It’s her kindness till now that she didn’t take any actions against us. So it’s better to let go, Gorge, or else our lives will turn out like Jane," he concluded and turned around, walking away from there.
Gorge face changed weirdly due to anger." Let go... no way, Greg. I won’t until I get my revenge on her for humiliating me" his eye turned darker, and he pulled out his phone and made a call.
*****
Next morning
Opening her eyes, Ashley turned and saw Tristan still sleeping. She carefully removed his hand from her waist and climbed down from the bed.
She wanted to pee, so she walked inside the restroom. By the time she came out, Tristan was still asleep, so she hopped back in bed, crawled inside the duvet, and faced Tristan as she watched him sleep.
"Why is he so handsome" she muttered, brought her hand to his face, and poked his cheeks.
Her small action stirred the man, but he again went back to sleep, making Ashley smile inwardly.
She propped up, resting her head on her palm, balanced her upper body with her elbow, and kept adoring Tristan.
As her eyes kept capturing his beauty, Tristan’s phone suddenly began ringing, and he slowly opened his eyes.
"Just see who it is?" he said in his sleepy voice and turned to bury his head in the crook of her neck.
Ashley smiled at his cute action, reached her hand on his side, and picked up the phone from the side table.
"It’s someone named Dante" her words snapped him out from his sleep, and he pulled away from her and snatched the phone from her hand in a hurry.
"I’ll have to take this," he said, throwing away the duvet and quickly climbing down the bed, leaving Ashley speechless.
"What was that?" she mumbled, watching Tristan’s outrageous behavior as he rushed to the balcony.
Chapter 114: Need help
Balcony
"What is it, grandpa? Aren’t you happy with your daughter that now you want to spoil my time with my wife" Tristan said coldly and heard the man grunt?
"Such an insensitive child. Can’t you for once greet me properly" Dante was expecting him to be polite with him, but no, his grandson wasn’t someone who likes to be soft with anyone.
Tristan rolled his eyes in annoyance and asked," Why did you call?" he said with an irritating tone.
Dante’s lips twitched, listening to his plain words, and felt like throwing a punch at him through the phone call. But he couldn’t.
Dante let go of his anger and calmed himself because right now, he needed his help.
"Tristan, I need your help?" he said in a whisper that made Tristan arch his brow in surprise.
’Why is this old man talking so low’ he thought but ignored, knowing Dante was getting weirder as he grew old.
"Help," he asked coldly.
"Yes, help"
Dante pursed his lips and looked at Grace, who was busy making healthy food for him, and he whispered on the call," How can I stop Grace from feeding me that healthy food? She wants me to drink that vegetable soup. You know I don’t like them."
Tristan pursed his lips as his cold face broke into a smile listening to his grandfather. He didn’t believe the former mafia lord everyone feared was scared of his daughter.
"I can’t help you, grandpa. You have to eat it, or else your daughter will get upset" Tristan said it right. No one in the house opposed eating the food Grace made.
She was more into nutritious food and preferred a healthy lifestyle. She would make them eat food that provided their body with proper protein and nutrition. It was hard to convince her to let them have the junk at least once.
Dante felt like crying because he didn’t want to have it. He hated eating vegetables and instructed his cooks to keep his food vegetable free.
"Now, what should I do" he mumbled slowly, but Tristan heard it anyways.
"Don’t do anything and eat it. This way, you will earn mom’s point," he said, confused him.
"Yes, mom had the habit of giving points to whoever finished the food she made. The one with the highest point gets the chance to be pampered by her" Tristan curled his lips.
He knew Dante would do anything to earn his daughters love. And it was a win-win situation for them to fill his system with healthy food.
Tristan knew Dante had a weak immune system and his body lacked nutrition, so it was an excellent way to make him eat everything his mother made. In that way, he could recover a little.
Dante pondered on his words and looked at his daughter," I want my daughter to pamper me," he said loud enough to catch everyone’s attention.
Smiling like a fool, he looked away and heard Tristan," Then make sure you don’t make faces and keep eating everything she makes. It will only benefit you, grandpa," Tristan encouraged the old man hoping he wouldn’t throw a fuss and eat everything like a good man.
Dante agreed to his word and ended the call.
Tristan heaved out a sigh and shook his head, letting out a chuckle. Dante was becoming a kid as he grew older, which surprised Tristan. He had turned into a stubborn kid who kept giving hard times to his doctors and the people who worked for him.
He turned to head inside and saw Ashley standing behind with her hands folded against her chest.
"Who is this Dante, and why did you keep calling him grandpa?" her words made him gulp, and he looked at her in horror.
Ashley had heard everything, and now she wanted to listen to it from him. She thought she knew everything about him, but now she doubted if she knew anything or partly.
****
Bedroom
Tristan sat next to Ashley on the bed and held her hand. He thought it would be his mother who would tell her about Dante. Now that they had sorted their relationship, he hoped it would happen that way, but Ashley listening to him speaking with Dante changed his entire thoughts.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to gather his courage, hoping she wouldn’t judge him, and opened his mouth to speak," Dante is mom’s father," he said and saw her eyes widen.
Ashley was surprised to know Grace had her father because she never once spoke about him these days, which made her think he wasn’t alive, but I guess she assumed it wrong.
"Then why didn’t you introduce me to him" Ashley’s felt bad for keeping his identity away from him.
Tristan could see she was upset and would feel bad for not knowing him sooner. Sighing, he pulled her closer, placed her head on his chest, and said," I would’ve done it earlier, but it was complicated. He and mom had differences, so I didn’t let you meet him."
Tristan didn’t want to completely open up about Dante because if he happened to tell her that they both were related to the underworld, she would leave him, and he didn’t want that to happen.
"Then did they sort it now? Didn’t you say they had differences" she looked up and asked.
"Hmm, even I found out about it yesterday. Mom and dad are currently at his place," he said without hiding anything.
Ashley pulled away and looked at him with surprise," What, when did they go?" she asked.
"Day before yesterday, and I think they must be having a good time together" Tristan could tell that everything was fine between them.
"Tristan, even I want to meet him," Ashley exclaimed.
Grace was a mother figure, and she wanted to know everyone dear to her. She was damn sure Dante must be a good man and a kind soul like Grace.
Tristan pursed his lips and nodded hesitatingly," Soon... you will meet him soon."
*****
Corner Mansion.
Grace arranged the food on the table. She made sure everything placed on the table was healthy.
She came to find that Dante wasn’t taking care of himself from his servant and would always skip food. He was getting old, and neglecting food had affected him badly. He looked weaker than the last time she had seen him, enough to know how careless Dante regarded his health.
She served him the vegetable soup and waited for him to taste it.
Trevor looked at his father-in-law and pursed his lips. He was enjoying watching his expression, which kept changing like a clock. It was evident on his face that he wanted to run away without tasting it, but because Grace was the one who made him, Dante couldn’t ignore it.
Dante pursed his lips, picked up the spoon, and dipped it into the bowl before bringing it close to his mouth. Closing his eyes, he was about to gulp it, but the aroma he inhaled made him open his eyes in surprise, and he slurped the soup just like that.
Grace smiled, looking at Dante. She made sure she would make it tasty enough for him to forget the unpleasant smell of the boiled vegetable, and he would end up enjoying it.
Dante finished the entire bowl in no time and wiped his lips after satisfying his hunger.
Trevor was surprised to see how this older man finished his portion of food without throwing a fit and ended up eating everything he was served with.
"Everything was so delicious," he heard Dante, and his eyes looked at his wife, who had a content smile.
Trevor could tell Grace must have modified the food according to his taste, which was why he finished everything. Shaking his head, he continued eating his breakfast.
Grace was too happy to see him finish everything. She could tell he genuinely liked the food, and she couldn’t stop feeling comfortable.
"Did you like it, dad?" she asked and saw him nod his head agreeing with her.
"Yes, of course. How will I not like the food my daughter cooked for me? It was so delicious," he said genuinely.
Dante never liked the smell of cooked vegetables; it irked him a lot. He was surprised to see that the soup was made of vegetables, but he couldn’t smell that unpleasant smell, making it easy for him to finish everything.
"I will keep making more," Grace said with a smile and began to eat her food.
After they were done with the food, Dante went to his room upstairs to rest. Doctors had asked him to rest as much as he could, and now that he had filled his stomach with healthy food, he began to feel sleepy.
Sitting in the living hall, Trevor looked at Grace, who was in deep thought.
"What are you thinking?" he asked, breaking her thoughts.
"Honey, don’t you think father is losing his weight too drastically" her words startled him, and he asked," Why do you feel that?"
"A few years back, when I met him, he looked more active but now, I always find him sleeping in his room."
Grace had been observing Dante from the day she came here, and she found it strange for him to sleep this much. She knew he was getting old, but that didn’t mean older people weren’t active.
Something wasn’t right with him, she thought.
Chapter 115: Where did you go?
"You are worried for nothing, Grace. Dante is getting old. It’s natural for him to rest all day without doing anything" Trevor tried to make her understand, but he doubted she would agree.
Grace sighed," Fine, I won’t worry," but deep inside, she knew Dante was hiding something from her.
Trevor looked at Grace and tried to change the topic," Did you call home? Gwen and Gavin are angry with you."
Grace snapped her head and looked at Trevor. "They know everything. There is nothing to hide anything from them," he said, shock in her eyes dissipated.
It was so selfish of her to keep her father away from her kids just because he wasn’t an ordinary man. She forgot even if she kept things away from them, Trevor wasn’t like that. He wanted his kids to love and respect Dante because he didn’t want them to feel that her mother had no one.
Gavin and Gwen knew everything about Dante and were proud of his kids for not judging him for who he was and what background he belonged to. The same happened to Tristan. His siblings knew about him, too, but they never judged him.
It was Grace who was yet to know that Tristan never left what he had started a few years back. He was still a part of it and would always be; she had to accept it.
Grace nodded her head, agreeing with Trevor’s words. He was right, and she was grateful to have a husband who always tried to put some brain in her head when she wouldn’t think rationally.
****
Agency
Ashley reached the company to sign back the contract after Masha published a statement of apology. She only had a day to prepare for the walk, and Ashley ensured she would do her best just like always.
After practicing the whole day, Ashley returned home. Sitting on the couch, she went to read the document and found Tristan’s name on the guest of the honors list.
A smile appeared on her lips, thinking it would be Tristan’s first time watching her walk the ramp. She wanted to look exceptional in front of her man.
With that thought, she took a shower before Tristan returned from work.
****
Bathroom
Stepping inside the bathtub, Ashley immersed her body in the warm water. She closed her eyes, let her head rest on the edge of the tile tub, and let her body relax.
It was a very tiring day, and right now, she wanted to relax her muscles so she could look presentable for the fashion show.
She didn’t realize when she had fallen asleep until she heard the bathroom door open, and she opened her eyes, turned her head, and saw Tristan walking toward her.
He was only in his boxers, but soon he dropped them down, letting his member rise, standing tall.
Ashley blushed, seeing his naked and well-built body, and watched him step inside the tub facing her.
"You look tired," Tristan said and reached out his hand for her to take.
Ashley didn’t let him wait and took his hand before she crawled towards him and settled down in between his legs.
Tristan snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer until his dick touched her lower back.
Ashley felt heat creep through her entire body and leaned back, resting on his chest.
"Hmm," she hummed and closed her eyes, letting herself loose in his arms.
Tristan was aware of Ashley being home, so he didn’t waste time and reached the bedroom only to find the bathroom door open and assume his wife to be taking a bath.
He removed his suit and shirt and unbelted his pant before placing them on the couch when his eyes fell on the papers on the table.
Ignoring them, he quickly made his way inside the bathroom and saw Ashley inside the tub, igniting the fire in him but what made him crazier was when she turned and watched him as he dropped his boxers.
They kept sitting inside the tub quietly and let them soak into the moment Ashley said," I hope I won’t disappoint you tomorrow."
Tristan understood what she was talking about, and he rested his chin on her shoulder, hugging her tightly," I know you won’t. My wife is the best," he said, making her smile.
First, she wouldn’t find it hard to walk elegantly on the ramp, but she felt a little nervous after learning it was Tristan who would be watching her along with the rest.
Tristan kissed the nape of her shoulder, held her hand with the ring he put on, brought it close to his lips, and kissed it.
"I wasn’t going to go but now that you are back to shine like the star. How can I let go of the chance to cheer my wife? Though secretly," he whispered the last words and heard her chuckle.
"I am looking forward to watching you walk the ramp, Ash, and that too with your head high" Tristan knew how committed Ashley was in every work she picked; even now, he had complete faith that she would do her best.
"Don’t get over-excited," she warned him playfully and turned around, snaking her arms around his neck, and leaned forward, capturing his lips for a passionate kiss.
"What if I did?" he asked, pulling back and watching her catch her breath
"Then we would be in headlines the next day," she said and saw him smile.
Tristan brushed the tip of their nose and dropped his head on her shoulder, hugging her tight. Ashley wrapped her arms around his back and brushed his hair lovingly.
"I can’t wait to walk with you hand in hand publicly" her hand froze, and she fell into thought.
Tristan sensed her lack of response and pulled back." I was kidding. Don’t get stressed up," he said and pulled out a smile.
Ashley let out a shaky breath and smiled back. She knew it was Tristan’s wish to make their relationship official, but he stopped himself because he had promised her.
She knew he was truthful to his words and would do anything to keep them, but then was it her responsibility to let the world know about him? For how long would she keep it hidden? Ashley thought for a while.
She had to find a suitable time to make their relationship official. With that thought in mind, they both took a bath together and walked out of the bathroom to get changed.
****
Outside Knight mansion
Sitting inside the car, Gwen found it too hard to part with Karl. They had been finding ways to spend quality time, and when they finally got together, she felt like staying with him all the time.
"Why did you have to drive so fast? See, we reached home," Gwen said grumpily.
Karl wanted to pinch her cheeks but stopped because he knew he would end up kissing her. They were outside Knight’s mansion, and he didn’t want anyone to witness them acting all lovey-dovey.
He tilted his neck a little and looked to see if anyone was around. Finding no one, he took the chance to lean forward and kiss Gwen’s cheeks.
"Gwen, listen, you have to go home. It’s late" his words made her release her anger a little bit, and she pouted.
"But I want to sit here with you," she said like a kid, which melted Karl’s heart.
He thought for a while and looked at her," Do you want to have ice cream?" he asked and saw her nod her head.
Karl didn’t want to upset her, so he proposed for ice cream. They can spend more time that way until he drops Gwen back home.
Karl started the engine and drove from there, taking Gwen to have ice cream with him, unknown to the person who had already witnessed them leave again.
Standing on his balcony, Gavin saw Karl’s car drive away from the Knight mansions gate and fell in thought.
"Where did they leave again" he mumbled suspiciously and rushed back inside his room.
****
It was after an hour Gwen returned home. She entered her room and turned on the lights.
"Where did you go?" Gavin’s sudden voice startled her, and she flinched, holding her breath.
Gavin, who was lying on the couch, sat up and turned to see Gwen standing next to the door. His eyes narrowed as he looked suspiciously at Gwen.
"GAVIN... how many times should I tell you not to scare me this way" Gwen ignored his question and slowly calmed down.
Gavin had been like this and kept barging into her room without letting he know.
"You didn’t answer me, Gwen. Where did you go, and what’s going on between you and Karl?" his words froze her on her root, and she felt her soul leave her body.