Ch. 256..260: Charmed by the Billionaire CEO Chapter 256-260
Chapter 256: Faking it all the time
"Ahem...
Karl cleared his throat at the employee’s comment and looked at Tristan. He was busy looking at his cell phone, smiling like a teenager unaware of the eyes that were watching him and commenting on his behavior.
Gwen who also heard the mummering tried to catch Tristan’s attention but the man was busy drooling looking something inside his phone.
Embarrassed Karl leaned closer to Tristan and whispered," Boss, you need to stop. Everyone is getting shocked by your reaction"
"Huh!" turning his eyes at Karl, Tristan looked at him in a daze and watched him move with his eyes on the side.
The smile on Tristan’s face dropped as realization struck and he turned his eyes ahead looking at the shocked pair of eyes that watched him as if they had seen a ghost.
’Damn..." Tristan sneered at his foolishness but quickly composed himself ignoring everyone’s reaction.
"Is there any problem.... everyone?" he asked putting his phone back on the table.
"No Boss..." everyone answered in unison, immediately averting their eyes away from him and focused on the meeting.
After the meeting ended, Tristan headed to his cabin followed by Gwen and Karl. They both had been observing Tristan since the morning. He seemed to be a little distracted, and by the looks, they could tell who the distraction was.
"Everything seems to be good. I think we should go with this plan" Tristan said as soon as they stepped inside his cabin.
Karl and Gwen had been handling the work in his absence and Tristan was thankful for how brilliantly they took care of everything without letting him down.
Taking his seat, Tristan then looked at Karl and said," I want you to get me the details Stardust Production House. I am thinking about investing in a movie"
Karl choked, looking at Tristan in disbelief. Gwen who stood there eyed Tristan suspiciously.
"Why would you want to invest in some movie? You were never instructed in the entertainment world" Gwen asked curiously.
"But now I am." his answer surprised both of them.
Karl already knew the reason behind Tristan’s sudden interest in Stardust. It was the same production house that was going to produce Ashley’s untitled movie.
Bobbing his head Karl quickly rushed to get his work done but Gwen, she seems a little suspicious of her brother’s words.
"Are you planning to do brother?" Gwen asked. Her eyes narrowly gawked at Tristan.
"Nothing, it’s just a new investment," Tristan answered with a shrug and looked away from her doubtful stare.
"Such a possessive man" she mumbled and got up from her chair and left his cabin.
Once Gwen was out of his sight, Tristan heaved out a sigh. He just hope she didn’t see through his lie and leave the topic behind.
******
After the photoshoot, Ashley decided to have lunch with Miley and Jack. Though they both were a little skeptical, they couldn’t go against their boss’s word and in the end, agreed to her.
Sitting inside the restaurant, Ashley placed the order and turned her eyes toward Jack. He looked a little anxious and kept looking around as if he was checking his surrounding.
He was here for work and not for having lunch with his lady boss. If the other men saw him ignoring his duties and complain to his boss, then Tristan would be pissed. He was barely able to land a firm job that didn’t go against his values and he didn’t want to lose it.
"Don’t worry, no one will complain about you to Tristan. You are my bodyguard now, so rest assured" Ashley’s words made him turn his eyes to her and he pursed his lips in embarrassment.
She could tell the boy was being cautious about his surroundings and she just wanted him to be at ease without getting bothered.
"Done!" Miley’s sudden voice made both Ashley and Jack turn their eyes to her.
"Ma’am, Christina Graze agreed on tutoring you. But there is one condition" she said moving her eyes back and forth from Jack to Ashley. Though she had a smile on her face, her eyes looked worried.
"What?" Ashley asked.
"She said you will have to visit the academy instead of her giving a personal visit to you" Miley answered.
Christina Graze was one of the best acting coach who had guided many new actors to mark their names in the entertainment world. She was the best coach one could have to build up their career in acting and Ashley wanted to get her guidance to improve herself for a better outcome.
"That’s fine. Even with her busy schedule, she still agreed to coach me, which is itself a big thing. Give her a yes. I will visit her academy" Ashley said and Miley quickly followed her words giving a nod to the lady.
After having lunch, they soon left the restaurant when Ashley received a call from Alice, asking her to come to her place.
Instructing Jack to drop her at Alice place, she then asked him to take Miley home.
*****
Alice apartment
"What’s the matter girl, why did you ask me to come urgently?" Ashley asked staring at Alice. The second she asked her to come to her place, Ashley sensed the disturbance in her tone that made her agree to her quickly. But now when she was here, sitting next to her, Alice kept quiet.
Alice had been thinking about yesterday’s incident. The thought of Natalie finding Noah didn’t seem a good sign to her. Though she asked Noah to ignore her still, she couldn’t stop herself from getting worried.
"Natalie, she came to look for Noah yesterday night" Alice finally disclose the thought that kept bothering her surprising Ashley.
"Natalie!.. h-how... I mean how did she find him? Wasn’t she intoxicated" Ashley asked remembering Tristan’s words when he informed her about the plan he carried in order to reach the person who was trying to follow them.
"I don’t know..." Alice sighed in defeat. She tried to think about how she managed to get to him after they skillfully erased the trace of him being her that night.
"Do you think she was faking it all the time?" Ashley asked.
"I don’t think so. Noah had confirmed the girl was high with drug consumption and it was hard for her to even keep her eyes open" Alice stated.
Noah can’t be wrong because he was there the entire time, even before she stepped in with her friends. There was no chance of her being clear head all the time.
"What if someone is trying to help her" Alice snapped her eyes to Ashley. Her words had point. What if someone was trying to help the girl? What if that someone must be from Jaguar’s rival clan?
With so many enemies lurking around, they couldn’t keep themselves from doubting anyone. And the fact that they used Natalie to get to her father’s suspicious intention, it wasn’t hard for them to look at her suspiciously.
While the two girls were busy discussing Natalie. The girl was finding a way to get back to Noah.
After she found him, her desire for him increased tremendously and now she wanted to get him as soon as possible.
"Alice Keller, she is Noah’s girlfriend" Natalie looked at the picture in her hand and then looked at the person sitting in front of her.
"Are you sure about it? As far as I know, Noah doesn’t do girlfriends. He only believes in hook-ups" Natalie questioned the lady, getting suspicious of her claim.
"I can’t be wrong with this because the girl in the picture once tried to get my man" Avera’s confident voice made Natalie’s gaze falter.
"She is with him just because of his money. She doesn’t love him and is only using him for her own needs" Avera tried to poison Natalie’s mind against Alice.
After whatever she did to her, Avera wasn’t going to let Alice live peacefully. She thought targeting her parents would make her revenge on Alice, but she was wrong. She took her anger on the wrong people.
Both Alice and Noah had tried to harm Dylan. But now she wanted to get even with them.
She somehow came to find out about Natalie’s liking towards Noah and now she wanted to use her for revenging Alice. She wanted to kill two birds with one arrow and for that, she had to take this stupid girl to her side.
Natalie was rendered speechless after what she heard from Avera. At first, she didn’t want to trust her but her confident word and the way she claimed everything against Alice made Natalie trust her.
"But why are you telling this to me?" Natalie asked.
"Because I know you like Noah" her words surprised Natalie. Only her friends knew about her liking towards Noah and how crazy she was for him.
"H-how do you know this?" she stammered looking at her in shock.
"How I know about it doesn’t matter, but I can help you to win him" Avera suggested.
She could see the girl was desperate to get Noah. If she hadn’t seen Noah’s photo on her cousin’s cellphone, she wouldn’t have come to find out about her.
Natalie’s friend who took Noah’s pictures turned out to be Avera’s cousin. The girl was so drunk that she ended up sending the picture of her rather than sending it to Natalie.
Chapter 257: Want in return
Natalie sat silent for a moment. She kept pondering on Avera’s words and if whatever she said was the truth, then she shouldn’t let Alice use Noah.
It was her wildest dream to have the playboy by herself and now, after all these years of waiting, if she finally got a chance to have him, then why shouldn’t she believe her words?
Bobbing her head in agreement Natalie said," Okay, I will put my faith in your words but what do you want in return for my help"
Natalie wasn’t that stupid to not understand the motive behind Avera’s approach to her. She only came to find that she was her friend’s cousin and now she was eager to know about her equation with Alice.
Avera’s lips curled into an evil smirk as she tapped her fingertips on the table’s surface before she looked up at her." I want to destroy Alice. That’s the price I want in return for my help"
There wasn’t an ounce of kindness in Avera’s words. All she could spill was venom, and that was enough for Natalie to see through her expression.
"So, what do you want me to do?" she asked without any second thought.
******
Sitting in front of Tristan Noah tapped his feet anxiously. After Natalie’s sudden appearance last night, Noah had been having a very giddy feeling creep inside his heart.
"Will you stop doing that? It’s not like Alice found you cheating on her. She knows everything, then what are you worried about?" Tristan asked.
The second Noah barged into his office without any notice, Tristan could smell something wrong. But before he could question him, Noah puked everything taking him by surprise.
Natalie had somehow recalled whatever happened at the bar. If not why would she come looking for Noah?
"I don’t know what is making me nervous Tristan, but that girl gives me a creepy feeling. It’s like just the thought of her makes me feel like thousand of ants are crawling on my body and her touch... Eww...I just can’t tell how much I want to erase it" he expressed flinching at the thought of her touch.
Noah had taken a shower just so he could wash away her touch from his skin. Even though he had pushed her, still the close of her body made him want to throw up.
Tristan arched his brow in amusement. This was the first time he had seen Noah get disgusted by a woman’s touch. He was happy that his friend finally was walking on the right path, all thanks to Alice. He knew they both weren’t perfect but they fitted perfectly for each other.
Finding Tristan quiet, Noah turned his eyes to her and watched him smiling." Is something wrong with my face? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.
"Nothing, I just felt like staring at you. Have you realized how much you have started to make sense" his words made Noah look at him cluelessly.
"Anyways, what do you plan to do next? Now that the girl knows the place where you live, it won’t be hard for her to keep visiting there" Tristan said.
Noah had already thought about it. Natalie told him that she will see him soon, but he don’t know when and how. The ways she was so confident with her words Noah just couldn’t stop thinking about it.
"You think I should just move out with Alice," he asked.
Noah didn’t want Natalie to create any misunderstanding between him and Alice. Though Alice was understanding, he couldn’t trust Natalie. It would be better if he kept a distance from the girl.
"I don’t think Alice will agree. She isn’t someone who would like to keep changing places just because someone is trying to woo her man" Tristan stated why he felt.
Alice wasn’t that weak to let Natalie’s presence bother them. She would rather let her know that she wasn’t even visible for them to notice.
Noah nodded his head agreeing with Tristan’s words. Alice would never give in to his decision of moving to a new apartment.
"I think I should ignore the girl," Noah mumbled.
*****
Gabriel’s place
Sitting inside the room, Gabriel was going through some papers, reading them with utter concentration. He was so immersed in the document that he forgot Lucas was also present with him sitting on the couch to his right.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked in hesitation.
That day when Gabriel told him he wanted a role in the movie for which Ashley was selected, Lucas first couldn’t believe him. The man was a gang leader and acting wasn’t something he would be able to pull off. His stone-like face would never crumple to show any emotions.
It was okay if it was modeling as he only had to strike a few poses and look appealing, but with acting it was different.
Brushing off his worry, Lucas watched the man finally move his eyes away from the document and then look at him.
"Why do you think I asked you to get me the script if I wasn’t sure about it" Gabriel stated keeping the script aside.
"Did you get my name registered in Christina’s acting institute? I heard she is the best coach and with her teaching, I can manage to learn acting" Gabriel didn’t want to let go of the chance to be close to Ashley.
He had his allies planted everywhere and it didn’t take him time to find that Ashley was planning on taking acting classes from a renowned acting teacher. It would be a great opportunity to be close to the woman.
Something about her made him want to know her. Yes, she was his initial target, and to execute his plan, he first wanted to know her in person.
"Yes, I have already registered your name," Lucas said heaving a sigh.
He had no idea what Gabriel was planning to do. If he wants to revenge on Tristan, he could just get his work done in the snap of his finger, then why was he prolonging his mission?
Nodding his head Gabriel again picked up the script and resumed back the reading, leaving Lucas in denial.
****
Stopping the car in front of Miley’s house, Jack turned to see the girl unbuckle her seat belt and asked," Do you usually be this silent? I mean back there in the agency building you tried speaking with me but throughout our drive here you didn’t utter a single word"
"I thought you weren’t interested in talking, so I just sealed my mouth. I just don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable" she said pulling away the belt around her and she turned around to see him.
"I wasn’t, it’s just that I... I don’t want to screw up anything." Jack was trying to be fully present with his work rather than go around fooling. He had done it throughout his life but now, he wanted to be serious.
"I can understand, Young kids like you are always driven by passion and there is no problem with that. Even I had been through the same phase where I tried to behave maturely but still got failed" Miley expressed her experience watching him smile.
"I know. Did you see how badly I failed? It didn’t take you and ma’am to notice that how badly I was trying to fit into the guard’s role. Was it too obvious?" he asked. scratching the back of his neck shyly and watch her nod her head as she tried to suppress her smile.
"Damn... Sky is definitely going to scold me" Jack exhale in defeat.
"You don’t have to force yourself if you aren’t used to it. Being cheerful isn’t a bad choice. You can set up a new example, not every bodyguard needs to be guarded up, some can even be chill" she shrugged her shoulder casually.
There wasn’t any rule for any guard to stand there and do their job with a straight face. If one isn’t comfortable with it, then one shouldn’t be forced.
Jack nods his head in understanding. Why would he want to fit into something which he wasn’t used to?
"I think you are right. God that felt so relaxing, finally someone understanding my situation" Jack felt at ease. He shouldn’t have pushed himself to look perfect. He knew he was skillful enough to protect Ashley but that doesn’t mean he should smile.
"I already told you to ease up, but you denied it," Miley mumbled before she let out a chuckle. She could tell the boy wasn’t as boring as he appeared to be and she somewhat felt better.
As she kept looking at him, she noticed the boy had a very youthful smile, the only thing was she noticed it just now.
"Okay then, I think I should take my leave. Thank you for the ride" she said with a smile before stepping out of the car.
Jack watched the girl enter the building as he couldn’t stop himself from moving her eyes from her. He didn’t think talking with someone would help him solve his problem.
Keeping her words his mind, he then started the car and drove back to Alice’s place.
Chapter 258: Find a way
"I think, you should let Noah handle this situation," Ashley said after giving it a lot of thought.
Sitting quietly for some time Alice bobbed her head, "Sigh... I think you are right."
Though she could see through Natalie’s actions, it wouldn’t be better if Noah would take care of it.
Agreeing with each other, the girls changed the topic. Ashley asked Alice about her parents and was glad that she didn’t let their downfall affect her. It was high time for her to see through her parent’s selfishness, and Ashley was happy that she finally realized it.
Ashley then went on to inform Alice about the movie she was signed for and how excited she was to begin her new journey.
Alice was happy for her friend. She knew Ashley was a very hardworking woman and just like how she made her name in the modeling world, she would be able to gain recognition as an actress too.
"I can’t wait to see you on the big screen," Alice said excitedly.
"Me too..." she smiled faintly and looked down at clasp palms.
Sensing the nervousness in her action. Alice reached for her hand and held them," You can do it, Ash. Just trust yourself"
Alice could tell that Ashley was a little nervous. Though she maintained a calm face but deep inside, she could feel the pressure slowly building up.
"I know, I shouldn’t get scared. It’s just that everything is happening so fast that it’s scaring me" Ashley would never let her fear appear on her face, but with Alice, she could be vocal about it.
"Just a few days back, I decided to step into acting, and here I am landing with my first cameo role. Do you think I would be able to live up to everyone’s expectations, especially Finn" she asked.
"Finn knows what you are capable of. If it wasn’t for his experience eyes, he wouldn’t have asked you to switch to acting." Alice answered.
"Anyways, just don’t think about the future. Didn’t you say Christina agreed to coach you? Now just relax and start taking your acting lessons. I guarantee the woman will bring the best out of you" Alice assured and watched her nod in agreement.
After spending some time chatting, Ashley decided to leave. Pulling out her phone she made a call to Jack asking him if he had returned.
"Isn’t he the same guy who saved you? Why are you calling him?" Alice looked at the caller’s name and remember him to be the same person who helped Ashley when she was captivated.
"Tristan appointed Jack as by new bodyguard," Ashley said casually ignoring the surprised look on Alice’s face and bringing the phone close to her ear she spoke with Jack.
"He is here," Ashley said as soon as she ended the call. Picking up her handbag Ashley left Alice’s house.
*****
Brown Mansion
Sitting inside the room, Piper was busy thinking about how she should communicate with Richard informing him about the spy cameras being installed in the entire house.
After finding it herself, she had been acting very cautiously, maintaining her natural look just so it doesn’t get recorded inside the camera. She was happy that no cameras were installed inside their maid’s quarter room or else it would have been difficult for her to keep her calm.
’Should I inform young miss about it’ she thought but then quickly brushed if her idea thinking how much Ashley had already suffered in these few days. She didn’t want to burden her with his fresh news.
"I need to find a way to communicate with the Young master. He needs to be informed about things happening behind his back" Piper mumbled, thinking of a way when something clicked in her mind and she smiled.
Stepping out of the room, she headed towards Richard’s study. Opening the door she peeked in and when she didn’t find anyone she stepped in.
Rushing towards his table, where the files rested in one corner, she quickly opened one of the top and placed a piece of paper inside it.
Arranging everything back properly, Piper rushed out of the study maintaining her appearance and walked away from there. She had already memorized where the cameras were placed and made sure to avoid getting captured in them and returned to the kitchen where Tori was already busy preparing the dinner.
"Piper, you came," Tori said with a smile when she felt someone’s presence behind her and she knew it must be Piper.
Tori liked being around Piper as she felt her treat her like her own child, reminding her of her late mother.
"Yes, it’s me and why are you so early in the kitchen? Didn’t you take a rest" Piper asked.
It was still some time for them to start preparing the dinner, but when she saw Tori, she couldn’t stop herself from asking.
Piper had started to get fond of Tori, but something about her felt too suspicious that she was hardly able to put her entire faith in her.
"I know there’s still some time. I was getting bored doing nothing, so I just came here to look at what we should cook" she said casually and watched Piper walk to her.
Standing next to Tori, Piper started helping her with the menu before they started making it.
*****
Jack dropped Ashley home and quickly informed Tristan about it. Sitting inside his office Tristan heard his phone buzz. Looking at the notification, he unlocked his phone and read Jack’s text.
"Ha... how I wish to be at home" Tristan mumbled heaving out a sigh.
His wife was already home, and he was here still working. Turning off the phone, he looked into the file in front of him.
"Did you take care of everything?" He asked lifting his head in Karl’s direction.
"Yes, boss and they have agreed to our demands" Karl informed, and without any further question, Tristan signed the paper.
"Make sure the news doesn’t get disclosed until script reading takes place" he further instructed.
After taking care of a few more things Tristan finally left the office. Stepping into the car, he then looked into the document that contained the list of cast membered who was signed for the movie that’s when he noticed a familiar name and his lips curled into a satisfying smile.
*****
Getting changed, Ashley then walked downstairs, heading into the kitchen where she found Grace instructing the main cook about the dinner dishes.
"Mom, can I help you with dinner tonight," Ashley asked as soon as she stood next to Grace and saw her turn her head.
"Of course, sweetheart. Is this even a question to ask? It’s your house and you can do whatever you want" Grace said with a smile.
It had been a long since Ashley had last cooked for them and now when she had some ideal time why not she invest it in cooking a delicious dinner for everyone?
Assigning the kitchen under Ashley’s care, Grace walked away from there. Instructing a few things to the main chef, Ashley started preparing the dishes.
It took her almost two hours to get done with the food and she asked the maids to arrange them on the dinner table.
Walking out of the kitchen she was about to head to her room when she heard Tristan’s voice calling her from behind.
"Ashley" Tristan closed the door before he marched towards his wife and leaned forward to kiss her lips.
"I missed you so much," he said with a contagious smile and pulled away.
"Is that why you didn’t call me for once the entire day" Ashley faked an angry look before she turned and started walking upstairs.
Confused by her reaction Tristan quicken his steps and followed her to their room.
Once they were inside the room, Tristan took a long stride and pulled Ashley by her arm until she collided with him.
"You wanted me to call you," he asked. His voice turned heavy and deep.
Ashley watched him stare at her intensely and she gulped. She thought she would be able to tease him but when he started getting serious, she lost it.
"Hmm..." her whisper-like hum made Tristan’s lips curl in amusement.
Circling his arms around her waist he pulled her closer until their chest brushed each other. Burying his face into the crook of her neck Tristan groaned.
"I am sweating," Ashley said when she realized how wet she was and she needed to take a shower before they joins everyone for the dinner.
"It’s okay." she heard him mumble against her skin and she gasped closing her eyes.
Tristan deliberately brushed his lips onto her neck as if he was trying to tease her. Inhaling the smell of her sweet odor mixed along with the sweat, Tristan felt his mind turn blank.
"Tristan... I need to clean myself" Ashley could sense where this situation was heading too and she had to stop it
She had instructed the maids to arrange the food and she didn’t want everyone to wait for them.
Using her palm she slightly pushed him, breaking his wild chains of thoughts, and heard him groan.
Chapter 259: Were you serious
Moving away, Tristan eyed her with a disappointed look. He was desperately waiting to finish his work so he could get back to his wife and continue with the undone session from the morning.
"Just this time. I am not letting you go after the dinner" Tristan was in no mood to let go. His entire day went by staring at her photo’s which Jack would send him. How badly he wanted to be with her but he swallowed up his eagerness knowing the seriousness of his work and decided to concentrate on it and finish it as soon as possible.
Ashley bobbed her head letting out a chuckle and q uickly pecked his cheeks before rushing into the bathroom.
Getting freshened up, both Ashley and Tristan joined the family members for dinner.
Karl and Gwen also seem to return home by then and were currently present along with other members of the table.
"No!.. you are not sitting here. This chair is for my sister-in-law" Gwen blocked the chair before Tristan could seat on it and asked him to take the other one.
Ashley gave Tristan a polite smile and walk past him, taking the chair next to Gwen and settle down. "Thank you," she said smiling at Gwen, and then looked at Tristan who shot a glare at Gwen before pulling the chair next to her.
Karl who had his eyes on Gwen’s every action pulled out his phone and typed a text to Tristan.
[ Boss, Gwen seems to be suspicious about our deal] pressing the send button, he turned to Tristan.
Buzz...
Tristan’s phone vibrated inside his pocket and he quickly pulled it out and read the text. His eyes grew a little wide but he soon composed it and started writing a reply.
[ Did you tell her anything?] he asked.
[ No, I didn’t but she seems quite adamant to find out about it] Karl texted him back.
After returning from Tristan’s cabin, Gwen asked him about what was brewing in her brother’s mind. Since it was a confidential matter between the two, he decided not to reveal it to anyone. It would be better if they waited for the right time.
"AHEM!!.. Don’t you boys think, you should let go of your cell phones and focus on dinner instead" Grace’s stern voice snapped them out of their text conversation and they quickly placed the cell phone aside and started eating the food.
While everyone was busy savoring the delicious dinner a familiar voice caught everyone’s attention.
"So Karl, when do you plan to propose to Gwen officially," Trevor asked out of the blue, surprising both Karl and Gwen.
Blinking his eyes cluelessly Karl turned his head towards Gwen and motioned something with his eyes.
Gwen shrugged her shoulder casually and turned her attention back to the food. It was his call to answer. Even was waiting on when he was planning to officially propose to her and that too with a ring.
Karl twitched his lips helplessly and turned to look at Trevor." Soon.." he answered making Gwen smile inwardly.
"Good to hear that," Trevor said and they continued their dinner.
"You know you are a devil right" Ashley tucked Gwen’s arms and whispered. She had seen Karl ask for her help but she ignore him. Poor guy... she thought.
"I have to, sometimes, or else this clueless man will wait for my proposal instead" Gwen defended herself.
She knew how slow Karl can be at times. He was perfect being Tristan’s assistant keeping everything under control but when it came to being her boyfriend the man was too imperceptive.
"I thought being with Tristan, Karl must’ve learned some mischievousness but it seems like except for him the other two are too shameless and vocal about their thoughts," Ashley said smiling.
"Cough! Cough!... what did you say" Tristan choked when he heard Ashley’s remark about him being a shameless man.
Startled by his voice Ashley quickly passed him a glass of water," Here drink this and keep your attention on the food" instead of confronting him, she rather scolded him.
Dumbstruck by her reaction, Tristan looked around. Luckily no one heard them and he was saved from becoming a laughingstock.
’Just wait, until we reach our room wifey. I am surely going to punish you for scolding me’ he told himself and resume back eating the food.
Once everyone was done with the dinner, Karl bid goodbye to the family and walked out of the house followed by Gwen.
Stopping in front of his car, Gwen suddenly asked," So, are you really planning to propose to me or it was just an excuse to get away from the interrogation"
Karl turned and watched Gwen staring at him intently as she expected an answer from him.
"What do you think was it an excuse or I was being serious inside" Karl reached his hand and pulled her closer to him. He wanted to know how much Gwen knew him.
Lowering her eyes, Gwen started playing with the button on his suit and answered," Maybe you weren’t serious inside"
"What!!!" Karl gaped looking down at her in disbelief. He didn’t expect this answer from her.
Gwen on the other hand was trying her best to not laugh at his silly face. She knew he was serious when he said her father about the proposal. She just wanted to tease him a little.
"You think, I wasn’t serious when I said I will soon propose to you" he sounded hurt.
They had been together for a while now, yet she doubted his intention. Did she think of him as someone who was fooling around without being serious about his feeling toward her?
Gwen sensed the pain in his voice and she clutched his suit a little tighter. She didn’t think the words she spoke playfully would end up hurting him.
Letting go of her hands Karl took a step back staring at her with shimmering eyes. He was on the verge of crying and that made Gwen quickly drop her act," That’s not what I meant. I was just-" Karl didn’t let her finish her words and turned around stepping into the car.
He didn’t want to look pathetic and just wanted to go from there. Inserting the keys, He started the engine and was about to accelerate when the door to his left opened and Gwen slumped in.
"You just can’t walk away without listening to me Karl." reaching her hand she pulled out the key, turning off the engine, and looked at Karl. His eyes stared ahead, not even for once he turned to her and that break her heart.
Heaving out a sigh, she reached her hand to cup his face and made him look at her." I wasn’t intentional Karl. I just wanted to pull your leg" her voice soften as she explain it to him.
Karl wasn’t that sensitive to not get her joke. She had pranked him many times before and he was quick to understand it. Then why wouldn’t he sense it now?
Pursing his lips into a thin line Karl pulled Gwen by her waist making her sit on his lap. He knew he overreacted and misunderstood her words. But what was he supposed to do when he knew his love for Gwen wasn’t just a fling? He loved her even before he found out what love means.
But she decided to trick him. Such a tease.
"Never do that again" he warned tucking the hair strand behind her ear.
"Hmm..." she pouted innocently looking back at him.
"You were just leaving me without saying a word" she continued.
Gwen never liked when Karl would get upset with her. He would eventually distance himself from her, giving her the silent treatment.
"I was hurt and I didn’t want you to see me like that" he explained.
Karl watched her lower her head. He could tell that now she was blaming herself for her actions. Good for her because if not how would she correct her mistake?
Not everything should be taken as a playful thing. Sometimes your actions and words end up hurting the people around you.
Karl didn’t comfort her and let her think about where she went wrong and let herself correct it.
After some time he heard her say," I am sorry" and this time she looked right into his eyes, holding her ears in apology.
Smiling at her cute expression, Karl held her hands moving them away from her ears and held them together into his. "Good... now drop that sorry face and smile for me" he demanded with a smile pestering on his lips.
Watching him smile at her, Gwen’s heart bloomed in happiness and her pouted lips stretched into a contagious smile and she pounced on him sealing his lips.
"Hmm... we are still outside your mansion. What if someone watches us" Karl tried to stop her letting her know about their surroundings and saw her tuck her tongue in realization.
"I should go," she said climbing down from his lap and quickly stepped out of the car before adjusting her appearance.
"Here, take this," she said throwing the keys at Karl and shut the door close before she turned around and ran into the house.
Amused by Gwen’s action Karl couldn’t help but adore her. She just soothed his mood with her cute action making him forget about his displeasure.
Watching her enter inside, Karl turned on the car and drove out of the Knights Mansion’s gate.
Chapter 260: New student
Ashley entered the room followed by Tristan and she heard the sound of the door shutting close. She felt his footstep approaching her from behind and before she could know it his strong arms picked her from the ground and carried her to bed.
"No more excuses" she heard him say.
She was already being warned about it and there was no way she could escape his claws.
Placing her on the bed, Tristan hope in, hovering over her slender frame and captured her lips. He was heavily addicted to her kisses, barely able to live without savoring them at least once a day.
Tasting her luscious lips Tristan pulled back, giving her some time to catch her breath." So I am shameless, huh?" he asked bringing up the topic he ignore back at the dining hall.
Ashley gape her eyes moving swiftly as she tried to grasp his words. She had said the truth, but he felt offended.
"I didn’t lie. Karl is much more decent than you and Noah" she stated and watched him frown.
His wife was again praising some other guy in front of him and that made him slide his hand into her pants, making her gasp in surprise.
Ashley flinch when he dug his finger inside her clit in the blink of an eye, that she couldn’t even get the chance to register it.
"So you find Karl more decent than me," he asked with a glint of warning in his voice.
Ashley rolled back her eyes feeling him move his finger in and out of her pussy and she let out a sensual moan. "Hmm... Tristan..." her lips curled up into an erotic smile.
Ashley couldn’t believe this man was getting jealous of his friend. Letting out a shaky breath she managed to look back at him and watched him curl up his lips into a satisfied smirk.
He was so obsessed with her that, he would easily get jealous if she happen to praise someone else apart from him. He wanted all of her attention and intentions solely focused on him.
Tristan increased his pace until she sprung onto his hand, releasing her sweet cum and he pulled back. All she could see was pure satisfaction on his face.
Licking his finger, Tristan leaned closer and kissed her once again. He just let her taste her own juice through his mouth and once he was done, he pulled away.
"Umm... was this some kind of revenge," Ashley asked slowly opening her drowsy eyes.
"What do you think?" he asked her instead.
The corner of her lips curled up into a playful smile and she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered," A revenge for praising another man in front of you"
Amused by her reaction, Tristan moved closer until their lips brushed against one another and asked," Do you want me to continue..." his eyes darkened with desire while his voice deepened as he asked.
Tristan’s member was already poking to get out of his pants. Just a nod from her and it would flung standing tall at her mercy.
Pulling him closer Ashley sealed his lips for a peck. "No, I have acting classes tomorrow. Christina doesn’t entertain late comers" she said and slowly pushed him away from her.
"Christina?" Tristan asked in confusion, though he already learned about it through Jack.
"God... look I forgot to inform you about it" Ashley gaped realizing that she was yet to disclose the news of her coaching classes to Tristan.
Heaving out a sigh, Tristan laid next to her and pulled her closer, resting her head on his chest and said," Speak"
Without wasting any time, Ashley told him everything about Christina and how she was looking on working on her acting before the shooting starts.
"Hmm... My wife is so smart" Tristan praised Ashley, lightly pinching her cheeks. He was like the way she was being adamant about perfecting herself.
"I have always been smart. It’s just that you can’t stop adoring your wife" She yawned and snuggled closer to him as her eyelids turned heavy.
Tristan smiled and kept caressing her arms until she fell asleep. Staring at her beautiful face, he too closed his eyes and soon dozed off.
****
The next morning Tristan and Ashley had their self-defense session. Tristan was quite impressed with his wife as she was improving it in no time. Done with the fitness training, they soon left for their respective work.
Jack drove Ashley to the acting classes. She made sure to reach on time since Christina her acting coach didn’t like latecomers.
Entering the building, Ashley stepped into the elevator along with Miley and rode to the fourth floor.
As soon as she stepped out Miley guided her to the acting hall, where she came across Christina and along with her there were a few more students she was talking with.
The moment she senses the new person, Christina drew her eyes from the students and turned to look at Ashley.
"Ashley Brown" Christina excused herself and walked towards the two ladies. stopping in front of them.
"You are on time," Christina said looking at the watch in her hand.
Since it was their first meeting Ashley tried to observe the lady for a few seconds. She knew Christina was a disciplinary person, and getting into her good books was hard.
Ashley let out a polite smile and reached her hand for a handshake," Hello Miss Graze" she said.
Christina looked at the forwarded hand and after a few thoughts, she reached for a handshake.
There was no one in country S who wasn’t aware of Ashley Brown. The fame she received in the modeling world was remarkable, but that achievement came with a lot of gossips and it almost fabricated her status.
"Nice to meet your Ashley," Christina said keeping her tone generous but deep down she wanted to see if Ashley had the caliber to become an actress.
While Christina and Ashley were busy with the introduction, the door of the room screeched open.
"Oh, we have another student here" Christina’s face bloomed once again making everyone turn their eyes to the door.
Ashley’s eyes darkened the instant, she saw Riel entering. Her palm clutched into a tight fist as she watched him walk past her.
"Hello, beautiful" Riel switched into his flirty mode, making Christina blush at his action.
Rolling her eyes skyward Ashley let scoffed. This man didn’t let a chance to flirt with anyone.
She then snapped her eyes at Miley and asked" Did you know about this? "
Miley shook her head in denial. There is no way she wouldn’t have let Ashley unknown about the man she hated so much.
Ashley watched Riel use his sugary words on Christina and to her surprise, she was turning red with shyness.
"Ahem. Ahem"
Both Christina and Riel turned their attention toward Ashley.
"Ashley! " Riel pretended to be surprised as he approached her.
Ashley let out a scoff in response. The man was too pretentious, she thought.
"I didn’t know we would be students of the same acting Institute. I am so happy to see you" Ashley listen to him in surprise. The man was talking so generously with her. No trace of playfulness.
’What was it I saw before’ she thought but quick retreat and composed herself.
"Not for me," faking a smile, she ignored the man and turned her attention toward Christina.