Ch. 326..330: Charmed by the Billionaire CEO Chapter 326-330
Chapter 326: Playing with fire
Tied on the chair, Dante observed the guards slowly vacating the place, which confused him.
’Why are they slowly leaving’ he thought as a frown marred his forehead.
After Alphonse walked out abruptly, his men had been monitoring him. But suddenly even they were leaving the place.
His eyes watched the remaining men when suddenly his vision blurred and he felt dizzy.
Dante shook his head and blinked his eyes a few times until his sight cleared, but deep down he knew, he wasn’t going to stay awake for too long.
He was already experiencing strange symptoms happening within his body and now this hit he received on his head. Suddenly Dante felt like his body was slowly losing its strength but he didn’t want to give up unless he get out of this place.
He was now sure that there was a dockyard nearby as he could hear the sounds of ships coming and leaving.
Dante just had to fool these guards to get out of this place, but before that, he had to come up with a plan.
His gaze examined the men who carried guns along as they guarded him. Dante tried to keep his eyes open but suddenly he felt dizzy and before he could understand everything turned blank.
*****
After making up their mind, Tristan and Ace decided to head with the plan. They knew it was a suicidal attempt, but they couldn’t delay more.
Noah was on a constant call with them helping them find the way that could lead them to Dante’s room and as expected, they didn’t stumble with any guard which further confirmed their doubts.
Crossing a long hallway with various rooms, Tristan and Ace slowly kept moving as per Noah’s instruction when suddenly one of the doors they passed by opened and they stopped.
Gabriel stepped out of the room when he heard some footsteps. He thought they were his father’s men and he wanted to shove them off but after coming out a familiar figure took him by surprise.
"Tristan" Gabriel hesitated for a second before calling out.
Tristan on the other hand was shocked when he heard a familiar voice and without any second thought, he turned around only to find Gabriel standing in front of him.
Gabriel held his gaze for some time before he opened his mouth to speak," Are you here to take your grandpa?" there wasn’t any gentleness in his tone and that made Tristan uneasy.
This cold tone of Gabriel’s he wasn’t familiar with it. Shoving off his emotions Tristan remained strong and bobbed his head," What if I was? Will you try to kill me"
Gabriel let out a humorless chuckle as he stared at them. "I am not like you Tristan. I don’t go on playing with anyone’s feelings"
"What do you mean?" Tristan snapped when he sensed the blame in his tone.
"Huh, now you will play dumb right? I could see that whatever my dad told me about you was right" his lips twitch at the sight of his clueless face.
Gabriel didn’t like the way Tristan behaved like he had no idea of whatever he had done. He just stared at him that he didn’t know anything he was talking about.
He genuinely took him as his friend but he only used him for his purpose. ’Did he know all this while that I was Alphonse’s son and it was the only reason why he took him as his friend? Was his father right about him?’
Gabriel didn’t want to believe it because his heart objected to his words but his mind, kept fighting against his rational thoughts.
Gabriel composed his stirred emotions and confronted Tristan." You became friends with me for reasons. You knew I was Alphonse’s son through your grandfather and that is why you supported me to propose to Sandra because you knew she loved you and you wanted to hurt me" his voice increased in the hallway alerting the two in front of him.
"Tristan we can’t wait here" he cut in sensing the trouble they could face if the guards surround them out of nowhere.
Tristan stood still as if Ace’s words didn’t alert him. He just kept his eyes ahead. Gabriel was pouring his heart out but the words he spoke weren’t his but the wrong details his father inserted in his mind.
He brainwashed his friend and Tristan could see it. His words spill venom but his eyes searched for truth.
Ace watched Tristan stagnate on the spot when his ears caught some faint footsteps heading their way.
"Tristan they are coming, let’s go" Ace forcefully grabbed Tristan’s arm and tried to drag him away but before they could leave, they found themselves getting crowded by the Sticker clan members.
"Shit"
Ace and Tristan shared a glance at each other after witnessing multiple guns pointing their way.
They knew one reckless move from them will cost their lives. Their eyes wandered around, counting the number of men when they heard a voice emerging from the group.
"Drop your guns or else my men will slaughter you both to death" Alphonse walked through the crowd as he made his way toward the two.
Tristan’s eyes darkened at the sight of Alphonse’s wicked smile. Clutching his palm into a tight fist, he tried to suppress his anger.
Stopping in front of them, Alphonse eyed Gabriel who stood right behind Tristan, and gave him a nod." Good job son"
Tristan’s brows creased and he turned to look at Gabriel who stared back at him blankly. He clenched his jaw in fury and turned back his attention to Alphonse.
"I was wondering how long it was going to take you to step into my territory and that too, sneakily..." Alphonse muttered with a smile but soon that smile dropped and his eyes turned darker.
"I can’t wait to see both you and Dante die a painful death. Seize these two" Alphonse declared and turn around when a loud gunshot echoed inside the hallway startling everyone.
"Tsk, Not until I kill you first" Tristan’s deadpan voice snapped Alphonse’s attention back at them and his eyes grew wide in shock.
Tristan had his gun pointing at Gabriel’s temple and he was just a second away from pulling the trigger.
Tristan observed the change in Alphonse’s face but he was a little skeptical as he didn’t know how long he will hold on to this terror.
"You are playing with fire young man" Alphonse warned with a gleam of fear in his voice. If anyone could listen carefully they could sense the nervousness in his tone.
"I won’t play for too long, just leave my grandfather and in return, I will let go of your boy" Tristan didn’t beat behind the bush. He just used the right time to make a deal.
Alphonse looked a little hesitant but then his eyes fell on Gabriel. His blank eyes stared at him like he didn’t care whatever was happening to him. He was just a trigger away from getting shot still there wasn’t any sign of fear in his eyes.
He didn’t say a word and kept staring at Gabriel with an unexplainable expression. The fear in his eyes changed that instant and his lips curled into a wicked smile.
"What if I don’t agree," he said moving his eyes from Gabriel. His eyes bored into Tristan’s and he let out a humorless chuckle.
Gabriel who had been standing next to Tristan like a dead person was shocked when he heard his father’s words and his eyes finally averted to him.
Meanwhile, Karl had managed to sneak into the base with his army. They made sure this time, they don’t go around making any sound.
With Noah’s help, he managed to destroy the camera’s around and also managed to find the room where Dante was held captive.
"Bastards can’t they be a little considerate" he brushed his hands off after knocking five guards outside the room.
Opening the door, Karl stepped in and saw Dante unconscious on a wooden chair. "Grandpa!" his voice choked and he quickly marched towards Dante untying his hands.
As if Dante heard someone call his name, his eyes slowly opened but he was too tired to react. His drowsy eyes tried to see the man but he felt too weak.
Karl sensed something strange with Dante and he quickly checked his pulse. It was slow and that alarmed him.
"Let’s get him out of here" he instructed the guards who entered along with him in the room and they immediately carried Dante out from there.
Once Dante was safely taken out, Noah then tried to connect with Tristan but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to link.
"Damnit what the hell is wrong with this device" he cursed sitting inside the car when he heard a loud siren sound from outside.
"Holy f**K" Noah’s eyes widen in shock when he watched an entire police army jumping out from their vans and marching toward the main base.
Chapter 327: I am not like you
Max heard the sound of the sirens outside the warehouse and he quickly alerted the guards who were currently present with him.
He had been taking control of the surveillance room, monitoring everything when he received a call from the warehouse. They had to deport illegal weapons outside country X and in return, they were going to receive a huge sum of money.
Alphonse had strictly instructed that he didn’t want any problem regarding this consignment. He was rooting for increasing his market worldwide so that he could move his base over there.
Keeping his words in mind, Max asked someone to take over his position and guide the men around. But now, he regretted leaving the base.
"How did the cops find out this place" he yelled making the guards around flinch in fear.
Quickly pulling out his cell phone Max tried to get in touch with the guard inside the surveillance room but when he didn’t answer, his fear reached its peak.
"Damn, we need to get out of here before the cops reach here" he ordered everyone and vacated the place as soon as possible.
Max and the group stepped out of the warehouse but their footsteps halted when his eyes caught the sight of Dante being taken away by Tristan’s friends and that was when he realized that they had lost it.
They once again underestimated Tristan’s capabilities and he was yet able to get away Dante from them.
"Over there" he heard one of the cops yell and he snapped his head in the other direction but before anyone could react, multiple gunshots came their way, hitting everyone.
Max shielded himself and tried to dodge the attack as he ran to the other side of the deck where the ships filled with weapons were ready to leave.
"Damnit" Max cursed and quickly hide behind the wall. His eyes stared at the ship and then peaked behind. He could see the cops running his way but. "ARGH!!"
He was shot in his back and the pain he felt was too much to handle. He had a gun in his hand but it was of no use. They were too many for him to fight alone.
"I’ll have to get out of here" he mumbled to himself and his eyes moved towards the ship.
He knew it was a cowardly act but he promised to return once everything was under control.
With that decision, Max took a deep breath. Neglecting the pain, he mustered up his strength and ran toward the ship that entered.
The ship slowly began to move farther and farther away from the deck and the cops who were following him could only watch the ship disappear deep into the sea.
Meanwhile, a big commotion took place inside the base with Alphonse’s men attacking Ace and Tristan.
"Let’s get out of here" Alphonse dragged Gabriel out of the mess and they began to leave from there. But before they could escape someone shot Alphonse and he fell to the ground.
Gabriel who was still in a daze from the change of events finally snapped out of his thoughts and his eyes fell on his father who was whining in pain.
He then remembered his words and his eyes instantly turned cold. "Son help me.." Alphonse reached his hand asking for Gabriel’s help. He wanted his help to get out of there but as the seconds passed by Gabriel didn’t react.
"Gabriel... what are waiting for, help me damnit" his voice raised in frustration. This time the bullet hit his lower back and he lost his balance the very instant.
Alphonse watched his men getting killed mercilessly. He didn’t want to die and asked Gabriel to take him out but his lack of response was nearing their end.
Staring at Alphonse for a few seconds, Gabriel squat down and picked up the gun pointing right at his father.
"This needs to end" his deadpan voice shocked Alphonse who was still lying on the ground.
"N-no you can’t do that," Alphonse said with a panicked tone as he watched Gabriel slowly pull the trigger.
BAM...
A loud gunshot echoed and Gabriel fell to the floor shocking everyone around. Alphonse who was expecting the bullet to insert his body saw his son rather shooting himself.
"I am not like you dad" that was the last words he heard before Gabriel lost consciousness and so did he.
Flashback end
"The cops arrested both Alphonse and Gabriel, but since Gabriel had nothing to do with his father’s illegal business he was released but was forbidden to leave the country and for Alphonse, he served his punishment in prison before he was released. Grandpa dropped all the charges against him, but the cops still monitored his work since he wasn’t an ordinary man"
"What happened to Sandra?" Ashley asked. Somewhere deep in her heart, she felt insecure about her.
"I don’t know but one day we got news from the prison that she committed suicide, but we couldn’t see her body as someone close to her took it away"
Tristan frowned when he recalled that incident. He also remembered how her death affected Gabriel mentally and he started to lose his mind.
Alphonse couldn’t control his son’s mental state, so he kept him inside the room where the doctors would come and treat Gabriel.
"Did you try talking to him about whatever happened with Sandra"
Tristan shook his head." The dynamics of the out relationship changed when Sandra told him that she loves me and not him. He loved her like crazy and when he heard the knew of her death, he lost it"
There was a gleam of sadness in his voice which didn’t go unnoticed by Ashley. Moving closer to him she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and brushed his upper arm gently.
"You were always faithful to him but the circumstances drew a huge line between the two. Why don’t you try to talk to him now" Ashley suggested.
"I don’t think he would understand. He still holds a grudge against me, which was why he approached you secretly" Tristan turned to look at Ashley. His eyes roamed all over her face.
"But I won’t let him harm you" his voice held an underlying threat. He was gentle with her but his words were like a warning.
Ashley didn’t say a word after that. But when she recalled her meetings with Riel, she had always seen him staring at her with an unexplainable gaze. As if he had been trying to understand her to a deeper level.
His words were always playful towards her but his eyes would convey some different meaning.
"Where are you lost?" Tristan’s voice broke her thoughts and she quickly shook her head.
Ashley couldn’t let Tristan know about this because his jealousy had no bounds. Now that she knows about Gabriel’s intentions, she had to be more careful around him and why won’t she after all Tristan would always be monitoring them.
She remembered how her husband surprised her by showing up as one of the producers for the upcoming movie she would soon be marking her debut with.
Though she didn’t like the idea, knowing how people will come to judge his decision but deep down she was happy that she would somehow be spending more time with him.
"What do you plan to do now? Will you keep showing up at the shooting spot just to keep an eye on us" Ashley expressed her thoughts with a grin.
"Hmm, not a bad idea," Tristan smirked when her smile dropped and her eyes wide in surprise.
"No, you won’t" Ashley regretted her suggestion.
"Why not" Tristan’s voice turned hoarse as he inched closer to her slowly making her lay on the couch with him hovering on top of her.
Ashley gasped when she found herself getting trapped by Tristan but he made sure to maintain a distance between their stomach. He would never squeeze their bean.
"T-Tristan did you forget we can’t have sex until the child’s birth" Ashley tried to divert his mind by bringing up g the topic they discussed a few days before.
Tristan stared at Ashley for some time before he buried his face into her neck inhaling her fragrance. "You tricked me wifey"
Ashley’s eyes widen in shock, but before she could question, Tristan kissed her neck and her mind went numb for a second. She closed her eyes savoring the touch of his lips on her weak spot.
"And now... it’s time for your punishment" he whispered next to her ear before bringing his hand down to the helm of her dress as he slowly lift it.
"Tristan..." Ashley called his name out breathlessly. She felt the heat in her body rise. It was hard to resist Tristan’s charm.
Tristan kept nibbling her neck until he left a red mark on it, while his hand slowly moved upwards to her panties. Tracing his finger over the fabric, he pulled it down and tossed it aside before he played with her soft petals.
Ashley’s legs wobbled at the sensation and she let out a moan. "Umm.."
Chapter 328: Because of me
The doctors confirmed Tristan that having sexual contact with his partner wasn’t a problem, but they had to be careful since Ashley had some complications.
Rough sex wasn’t something they advised.
Tristan brushed his fingers clockwise, listening to her sensual moans. He could feel how badly she needed this. Just like him, even she wasn’t able to resist this. They craved each other and their hunger kept on enhancing every day.
Ashley brought her hands up and held the armrest as she couldn’t handle the temptation. Her body needed him and she didn’t want to disturb him.
Letting go of her neck, Tristan slowly moved down to her chest and with the help of his other hand, he pulled down her dress exposing her round breast.
His hand kept massaging her folds enjoying every moan that escaped from her mouth. They were his sweetest melody which would ignite the fire within him.
Burying his face into her chest, he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked hard.
"Ahh..." Ashley squealed at the sweet assault, arching her back and giving him proper access. She was loving every bit of it finding herself drowning in the pool of sensation.
Tristan tucked the buds with his teeth and then sucked it once again. He kept repeating his move until it turned sore and then moved to the other one.
While his mouth was busy attacking her buds, his hand on her womanhood sensed the wetness. He understood that Ashley was now ready.
Pulling away, Tristan removed his pant and positioned himself between her legs. Rubbing the tip of his long dick, Tristan warned her of the upcoming pleasure.
Staring at her lustful eyes, Tristan slowly entered her g-spot inserting his dick fully into the core. They had been indulged in sexual activities for a while now yet, the pleasure was always new for them.
He then slowly moved his hips, lapping on her womanhood making sure he wasn’t harming his baby and allowing her walls to squeeze his long shaft.
Tristan could feel his length grow bigger with every thrust. His right palm rested on her stomach slowly caressing it, as if he was preparing his baby for more upcoming events like this.
His father was a sex-craving man when it came to his mother and there was no way he would let his tool rust for moth without any action.
Ashley wrapped her legs around his waist when she couldn’t handle the pound. She was already blown by the pleasure and she didn’t want to lack the pace.
Her hands that were holding the armrest above her head moved towards his waist and she pushed him further deeper into her.
She didn’t care if he looked like a greedy woman who was satisfied with her husband’s gentle moves, but she always preferred raw and rough sex.
Understanding her action, Tristan fastened his pace and just a few more minutes later, he emptied himself.
"Ha..." Tristan groaned resting his hand on either of Ashley and panted.
Ashley too tried to catch her breath and let go of her hands from his waist bringing them to cup his cheeks. "Kiss me" she demanded staring into his eyes and like the obedient husband he was, Tristan kissed her.
The kiss didn’t last for long as Tristan pulled back making Ashley frown. Sensing her sour look, he let out a chuckle before bringing his thump closer to her lips and slowly tracing it.
"It’s enough for now. I don’t want to drain you out" Tristan said pecking her for the last time before pulling himself from her and climbing down the couch.
They were a mess, so Tristan decide to take a quick bath and carried Ashley in his arms, walking into the bathroom.
His heart was at peace after disclosing his past with Gabriel to Ashley and was glad that she kept her patience the entire time.
Tristan never liked discussing the past, but because of Gabriel’s unexpected appearance, his fears started to surge.
After taking the shower together, he then helped her dress up before they settled on the bed.
Tristan then asked the maid to bring Ashley some healthy soup, since she looked tired to him. He made sure Ashley didn’t lack nutrition because she kept throwing everything she ate and that worried him like hell.
"You have been treating me like a kid" Ashley pouted as she watched Tristan who let out a chuckle.
"I am preparing myself beforehand Ash, so when our baby finally arrives, I won’t be lacking behind," Tristan said tucking the hair on her face behind her ear and watched her pout replace into a smile.
Ashley loved Tristan beyond imagination that his every sweet word would end up blooming her heart.
The couple was busy staring into each other’s eyes when they heard a knock on the door and their link break.
The maid came with a bowl of vegetable soup and placed it on the side table before she walked.
"Come let’s feed you" Tristan picked up the bowl and started feeding Ashley the soup.
Once he was done, Tristan then walked toward the couch and started working. while Ashley lay on the bed with her eyes observing her handsome man.
She still had two days in hand before the shooting starts so she made sure to take some rest before her upcoming busy schedule.
Heaving out a sigh, Ashley closed her eyes and decided to take a nap.
*****
[Hospital]
Noah kept staring at Alice who had fallen asleep after much difficulty. He thought she was slowly walking out from her dark past, but he was wrong.
Brooke’s sudden appearance brought back all her fears, making her recall that horrible past she tried to forget.
Alice was so afraid that she didn’t leave him. Her entire body kept trembling to the point that he felt she was having a panic attack.
"I am sorry you have to go through all this because of me" Noah cursed being the person he was in the past.
Back then he didn’t realize the consequence he would bring because of his player image but now, he wanted to make things normal.
Noah kept caressing her hair when Alice slowly opened her eyes. The moment their eyes met, Noah felt immense pain in his heart and a tear rolled down his cheeks.
It didn’t take time for Alice to sense his pain and she immediately console him. "Come here," she said widening her arms for him.
Noah didn’t waste a second and hugged her. He buried his face into her neck and let his tears fall uncontrollably.
Alice wrapped her arms around his and started comforting him. She could see his shoulder trembling while her ears could hear him sob. "Shh... It’s not your fault Noah, please don’t blame yourself"
She tried to console him because she knew Noah was already blaming himself for whatever happened to her. He might appear to be fine but deep down she knew he wouldn’t forget everything so easily.
As if her words worked like a spell, Noah stopped crying but he didn’t pull away and kept hugging her until he felt better.
"Did he touch you anywhere?" Noah asked pulling away and stared at Alice intently. His hands rested on either side of her petite frame while his attention was entirely on her as he waited for an answer.
"No, but I could still feel his creepy eyes on me even with my eyes closed" Alice gulped the lump in her throat when she recalled how she was able to sense his creepy eyes on her even though he wasn’t close to her.
Noah’s face turned dark and he clutched the sheet into his fist." I will kill that bastard" he said between his gnashing teeth.
Alice sensed the threat in his aura and immediately cupped his face. "You won’t taint your hands with his dirty blood Noah. I don’t want you to disgust yourself because of him"
Yes, she agreed with him on exposing Avera and Natalie by gathering proof against them. She was totally against violence and wanted everything to happen the legal way without Noah tainting his hands by doing something reckless. But now his behavior was scaring her.
Noah just stared at her without saying a word." Promise me, Noah, you won’t do anything reckless" she forced him to speak by making a promise.
"Fine... if that’s what you want" he agreed but with the least surety.
Noah wasn’t sure for how long he would hold back because of the promise but now he was damn sure that he would leave anyone who tried to harm Alice whether it was in the past or the present.
Alice could just watch him move away his eyes from her. She still doubted if her words have made any impact on him or if he just ended up brushing them away.
The room was once again filled with silence when the door to her room opened, and the doctor assigned to Alice stepped in.
"Did you have a good sleep Miss Alice?" the doctor asked as he checked on her pulse.
Alice bobbed her head and the doctor smiled. "She is doing fine, you can take her home Mr. Wayne"
Chapter 329: You have me
Alice blinked her eyes staring at the doctor and then at Noah who gave a nod before the doctor left.
"Am I finally going home?" she asked still not able to accept the news.
"Hmm," Noah hummed and stood up before he walked towards the small closet where he already had her clothes fetched from her house.
Alice’s mood changed within a second and she pushed herself up on her bed. "Finally I will be able to breath fresh air" she mumbled taking a deep breath and turned around before climbing down the bed.
Noah on the other hand could only sigh. After whatever happened today, it was confirmed that Brooke was only here to check if the news circulating in the media regarding his love life was true.
Fortunately, he wasn’t around and that confirmed Brooke’s doubt making him believe the news. Now he was sure that Avera too would come to believe their lies.
Helping Alice in getting change into a pair of new clothes, they then left the hospital.
On the way, Alice informed Ashley about her discharge and asked her if she would be able to join her.
Buzz...
Ashley was still in deep sleep when she heard her phone buzz on the side table and the sound woke her from her slumber.
Reaching her hand to the side Ashley picked up her cell phone and read the message.
"Whose it" Tristan’s displease voice came from the couch and she propped her head up looking at his creased brows. He wasn’t happy with the disturbance, she thought.
"It’s Alice. She wants me to come to her house" Ashley pushed herself up into a sitting position and showed him the message.
"Did she already get a discharge?" he asked straightening himself on the couch.
Ashley bobbed her head like a kid and pushed aside the duvet before stepping down from the bed.
"I’ll come with you" Tristan suggested and turned off his laptop before the two got changed and left for Alice’s end.
*****
"I hope I didn’t disturb you" Alice gave Ashley a pity look when she observed her fatigued expression.
Ashley was snapped out of her sleep by her text and even after applying makeup, she couldn’t hide her tiredness.
"Yes you did" Tristan answered on behalf of Ashley. His eyes gawked at Alice letting her know that he was pissed.
Ashley turned at motioned him to stay quiet and when he didn’t she slapped the back of his palm.
"Don’t bother him. He is just a little worked up because of some office-related issue" Ashley let out a chuckle getting embarrassed by Tristan’s blunt words and tried to ease the air around.
Alice’s lips twitched as she glared back at Tristan with the same deadpan eyes. "I won’t" she answered swiftly changing her blank face into a smiling one when she looked at Ashley.
"By the way where is Noah" Ashley asked when she didn’t find Noah around.
The man was like chewing gum and liked sticking to Alice every moment they were together but when she didn’t find him anywhere she couldn’t help but ask.
"He is out for some work" Alice replied and fell silent which caught Ashley’s attention.
"Is there something you want to talk about" Ashley was familiar with Alice’s different way to silence, so it didn’t her take time to notice the change in her expression.
"Brooke, he sneaked into my room at the hospital" her words took both Tristan and Ashely in shock.
"How can he-" Ashley stopped before she could finish her words and doubtfully asked," Is he with them"
Ashley didn’t know why but she felt Brooke’s sudden appearance had to do something, Dylan.
Alice bobbed her head and confirmed her doubts. Even she was surprised when she found Brooke inside her room.
Alice remembered that she had long woken from sleep when she sensed the door to her room clicks open. Expecting it to be Noah she closed her eyes once again and waited for him to wake her up with his sweet cheeky word.
She happily waited for him to speak but when a familiar voice reached her chords her mind froze. She didn’t dare to open her eyes and see the person because she had already remembered him.
And why won’t she?
Brooke was her biggest nightmare, she wouldn’t be able to forget his voice even in her dreams.
Ashley leaned back on the couch with utter disbelief. She couldn’t believe how can one person be so determined to destroy someone to the point that they didn’t even care about bringing their past in between.
Avera appeared like an innocent cow before but who would have thought, the cow would change into a cunning fox playing games to destroy her target.
"I thought he was rotting in the prison. Dad made sure he wouldn’t get bail at any cost"
"Nothing can be permanent Ashley. You know how the law system works. Any person can change themselves for time being to get out of difficult situations. Maybe that’s what happened with Brooke" Alice shook her head in denial.
’There was no way Avera held that much power to get a culprit out from the prison using her name’
"But still, now that he is here and stalking you don’t you think he might again try to come after you" Tristan was the one to bring the question.
He didn’t speak the whole time pondering her words. He thought it would be easy for Noah to make Natalie trapped in his lies and make her spill everything but with Brooke coming into the picture was it possible?
Natalie was a brainless woman who worked according to others but Avera and Brooke, they didn’t seem to be that useless. Didn’t they?
"Tristan is right. What if he comes after you" Ashley repeated his words and turned her eyes to Alice.
’She didn’t think about this. What if after affirmation of the news he would try to come after her? After all, she had no one to rely on’
Alice’s face began to lose its color and she looked at Ashley with fearful eyes.
Noah was planning on moving back to his apartment next door because he didn’t want anyone to doubt him but he assured her that he would be having her room monitored from his room.
But still, her heart wasn’t ready to think about the what if’s.
Meanwhile, Noah was on his way to the office when his phone began to ring. He looked at the number and the corner of his lips tucked up into a smirk.
Decreasing the speed of his car, he answered the call." Hello, who’s this?" he kept his tone low as if he didn’t know who the person was and just played clueless.
Natalia on the other hand bit her lower lips when she heard Noah’s voice.
After Brooke confirmed the news about their breakup she couldn’t stop herself from calling him.
It was her only chance to get closer to him now that Alice wasn’t in his life. She had to grab this opportunity to lure him and make him fall for her.
"Natalie! Is that you" his voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she gasped.
"Tell me it’s you" he again said and she sensed the desperation in his voice that took her by surprise.
"H-how are you Noah?" Natalie finally spoke leaving behind her astonishment.
Noah smiled victoriously and quickly changed his expression into a sad one immersing himself in the act. He knew she would call him.
"I don’t know," he said.
"I just feel like an empty soul" he further added.
Natalie who sensed the helplessness in his voice shook her head." No don’t say that" she felt bad for his situation.
"How can I not? I gave her everything Natalie yet she broke my heart" he kept expressing his emotions making her further believe in his lies. He wanted to sound appealing to her just so she wouldn’t find any holes of doubt in his story.
Natalie who was slowly getting blinded by his words felt bad for him. She knew Noah loved Alice like crazy, Avera was the one who witnessed. She could feel the remorse in his voice.
’Should I make my move’ she thought to herself.
"I know, but that doesn’t mean you should give up your life for someone who didn’t value it. You have me..." Natalie was trying to act sensible here but Noah was very well aware of her intentions behind the kind act.
Ignoring it he played along.
"You are right. I shouldn’t be wasting my time on a girl like her. How I wish she would have been like you"
Natalie felt her heart race when she heard him praise her. Her happiness had no bounds and the smile on her lips didn’t stop stretching.
Noah rolled his eyes suddenly feeling queasy. He couldn’t even imagine Natalie taking Alice’s place in his life.
’God what all he has to do’
Chapter 330: What is she doing here?
Inside the moving vehicle, Ashley sat silent. Alice told them about Noah’s decision of moving out of her place and temporarily shift back to his apartment. He just wanted to be cautious about his actions and appear convincing.
"I think we should ask Alice to move to the Knight mansion. I can’t risk her life knowing Brooke will come for her anytime" Ashley said out of the blue making Tristan turn his eyes from the road to her.
"And you think Noah will agree? I am sorry but I can’t handle his stubbornness" Tristan shook his head and looked ahead.
He knew Noah would never agree to them. He would do anything in his power to protect his girl and letting her go is something he would never imagine.
"We are doing it for her safety Tristan. Noah must understand" Ashley tried to state the fact. She couldn’t leave Alice alone after whatever happened to her.
Tristan watched her from the corner of his eyes but didn’t say a word which annoyed Ashley further.
"Fine!... if you don’t want to talk to him then I will do it" slamming her palms on her lap, she pulled her cell phone out and looked for Noah’s number.
Bringing the phone close to her ear, she heard the bell ring. "Ugh! Why isn’t he picking up my calls" Ashley shouted making Tristan on his seat.
Tristan was still getting used to her mood swings, swiftly turned the steering wheel to the left and stopped the car on the corner of the road.
Unclutching the seatbelt, he then turned and cupped her face making her look at him.
Ashley was surprised by the sudden halt took some time to stabilize her thought when her face was captured in Tristan’s palm. Blinking her eyes, she watched the furrow on Tristan’s forehead and gulped.
"W-why did you stop the car?" she asked.
She wanted to jerk his hands off her face but his piercing gaze didn’t let her do that.
Tristan examined her face for some time before he opened his mouth to speak." I know you are worried for Alice, but can’t you just try to think from Noah’s point of view" his eyes slowly softened along with his voice.
Ashley’s irritation flew out of the window. She even forgot to blink. The blue eyes were slowly washing away her worries.
Tristan kept staring at her while he used his thumb to caress her cheek as if he was lowkey trying to soothe her. He knew Ashley was worried for her friend but she also have to think from Noah’s point of the side.
She knew Noah was madly in love with Alice and staying away from her would be a big deal for him.
Knowing how stubborn Noah is, there was no way he could change his mind.
When Ashley didn’t speak anything, Tristan pursed his lips into a thin line. Thinking for a few seconds he asked," Will you be able to stay away from me if I happen to move somewhere else?"
His words took her by surprise and her eyes widen in horror." No way... How can you think I will let you leave me? You are not going anywhere Mr. Knight" Ashley jerked his palm off her face and pulled him closer by his collar.
Her eyes intensely stared at him, letting him see the gleam of fear in them and Tristan let out a giggle. He then pinched her cheeks and smiled happily.
"My dear wife, I was just stating an example. I am never going to leave you" Tristan said coaxing his cute angry wife and quickly leaned forward to peck her lips.
He couldn’t resist her cuteness.
Ashley pouted her lips and pushed him away. "You could have made me understand with a simple example. I didn’t like this one" huffing she turn around and sat on the seat with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Okay I won’t" Tristan smiled pinching her cheek adoringly and continued," Same goes with Noah. Just as you can’t stay away from me, Noah too can’t leave Alice. No one is ever able to stay away from the person who means the whole world to them"
Ashley looked at him from the corner of her eyes, giving his words a little thought before she bobbed her head in agreement.
"Now that’s my good girl" Tristan praised her lovingly and quickly pecked he cheeks which were puffed like a cute round balloon.
Adjusting himself to the seat, Tristan then started the car and drove away. On the way, Ashley saw her favorite ice cream parlor and she asked Tristan to stop as she suddenly started carving for it.
Parking aside, they both stepped out of the car and entered the shop. Since the place wasn’t crowded, Tristan didn’t have to worry about their safety or being clicked.
Least bothered, they walked into the shop and order ice cream for themselves. Paying the bill they then walked out of the shop with ice cream cups in their hand and entered the car.
Since the windows were coated with privacy tempered glass it wasn’t possible for anyone to see through them.
Taking a bite from her cup, Ashley savored the chocolate-chipped ice cream by letting out soft moans." Umm... that’s. so. tasty..."
Her eyes closed with every bit she took while her tongue kept tracing her lips showing how much she was enjoying it. But in all this thing she forgot about the man sitting next to her who was having a hard time watching his wife moan over ice cream.
The spoon in Tristan’s hand kept hanging closer to his mouth, while his eyes hover over his wife, innocently.
Tristan was now cursing himself mentally. He should’ve seen this coming. ’I need to talk a quick cold shower as soon as we reach home’ he said to himself.
Ashley who had almost finished eating her cup turned to look at Tristan and frowned.
"Why haven’t you eaten it yet? Didn’t you like the ice cream" her voice snapped him out of his trance and his eye fell on the spoon.
"Damn..." he cursed and took a bite before the melted cream fell on his clothes. He was now feeling embarrassed for his action. He just couldn’t keep his thoughts intact when it came to Ashley.
"I have to control myself" he muttered under his nose and quickly finished the ice cream.
Once they were done, Tristan asked if Ashley wanted anything else but she shook her head denying his question.
Tristan was about to start the car and leave when his eyes caught someone familiar on the other side of the road.
"Isn’t she the young chef Tori? What is she doing here" his voice made Ashley look in the direction where Tristan’s attention fell and to her surprise, she saw Tori entering someone’s car before it drove away.
"How can she step out of the mansion at this hour?" Ashley mumbled, falling confused about how Tori was roaming out at this hour.
Tristan creased his brows when he heard her and asked," What do you mean?" his eyes intently staring at her.
"Dad has some rules imposed on the staff working for him. They aren’t allowed to step out of the house after eight in the evening" Ashley said as she turned to look at him.
They both fell silent pondering what they just saw. "Should I call dad and ask him if he asked Tori to leave the house for some time"
"But what about the car she stepped in? Does that car belong to uncle Richard" Tristan question.
"No, it isn’t my dad’s car. He never allowed his servant to use his car, they had a separate transport vehicle" Ashley suddenly felt weird.
’If the car Tori stepped in wasn’t her fathers then with whom did she leave’
Tristan had his eyes on Ashley the entire time. He could tell what was going on in her mind.
"Let’s drive to Brown mansion," Ashley said out of nowhere. ’She had to confirm this with her father’ she thought.
After whatever happened with Piper, Ashley found Richard turning extremely silent. He didn’t even talk to her whenever she would call him.
Piper’s sudden exit had somewhat distanced him from his people or else he wouldn’t have ignored her by giving lame reasons.
Soon they reached the house and the first thing she did was look for her father. Asking the servant about him, she found Richard was still in his study busy with some work.
The moment she pushed open the door before knocking on it she found Richard sleeping on the chair.
"DAD!" Ashley called and quickly sprinted towards him when she found his face a little pale and that alarmed her the second.
Tristan who had been with Ashley quickly checked Richard’s pulse and frowned." We need to call the doctor" concerned marred his word and he quickly reacted to it.
Richard had passed out on his seat without anyone aware of it. His body had turned a little cold and that scared Ashley to death.
"Dad wake up" she tried calling him by slowly caressing his face but Richard was unresponsive. It was enough for them to learn that something wasn’t right with him.