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Ashton's Empire 121
The Saturday family dinner with Ryan and his wife Stacy and their kids Aria and Asher was a much-anticipated event. They decided to go for a Saturday brunch at Ryan's mother's house since it had been a long time since they had visited.As they arrived at Ryan's mother's house, Aria and Asher couldn't contain their excitement. They ran into the house and hugged their grandmother tightly. Ryan and Stacy followed closely, greeting Ryan's mother with hugs and kisses.As they sat down for brunch, they chatted about what's been going on in their lives. Stacy caught up with Ryan's mother about how her job was going and how the kids were doing in school. Ryan talked about how his business was going and the new projects he was working on.Arianna, Ryan's mother, brought out some gifts she had gotten from her trip to Paris. Aria and Asher's eyes widened with excitement as they saw the beautifully wrapped gifts. Arianna handed them to the kids, who opened them with glee.Stacy and Arianna started
Ashton's Empire 122
Asher sat on his bed, his fingers tracing the mark on his neck. It was a hickey, no doubt about it. But how did it get there? He had no memory of hooking up with anyone recently. His mind raced as he tried to piece together the events of the past few days.Aria's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You know, Ash, you don't have to be embarrassed. We're adults now. It's okay to have some fun." Asher groaned. His twin sister loved to tease him about his lack of a love life.But Asher couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. He had never been the type to hook up with a stranger at a party. He prided himself on being responsible and cautious. So how did he end up with a hickey on his neck?He replayed the events of the weekend in his mind. There was a party on Friday night, but he didn't drink much. Then on Saturday, he went to the gym and hung out with his friends. And on Sunday, he studied for his upcoming exams.Nothing stood out as a likely scenario for him to have ended
Ashton's Empire 123
"Lily schedule a meeting with the G&G modelling agency, " Ryan said as he entered his office.The Ryan, the CEO of Ashton's Empire, had an exciting new project in the works. He had recently designed a stunning piece of architecture, and he needed a modelling agency to showcase it to the world.After considering various options, Ryan decided to approach G&G modelling agency, a new but promising agency in town, to handle the modelling gig. He scheduled a meeting with the agency's representatives to discuss the proposal. During the meeting, Ryan presented his design and explained the vision behind it.The representatives were impressed with Ryan's work and were eager to collaborate with Ashton's Empire on the project. They discussed the details of the gig, including the models needed, the location, and the budget.After much deliberation, they agreed on a plan and set a timeline for the shoot. Ashton's Empire would fund the entire project, including the models' fees and expenses.Over
Ashton's Empire 124
"I was thinking we could talk business over dinner," Emily said."My wife ain't like that, maybe we could have an early morning meeting but not me coming over to your house" Ryan responded."Okay okay why don't you bring Stacy with you?" she asked looking hopefully at Ryan."Nope, the rescheduled meeting is better so let us stick to it okay?"Ryan firmly said.Emily Ryan's ex-wife had always held a grudge against Stacy ever since their divorce. Even though it had been years since the divorce, the ex-wife still harboured a hint of anger towards Stacy. She had always believed that Stacy was the reason for the divorce, even though it was her infidelity that had caused the split.Despite her lingering anger towards Stacy, the ex-wife saw an opportunity to lure Ryan in for a dinner date under the guise of business. She knew that Ryan was still using her modelling agency, and thought that it would be the perfect way to get closer to him. However, Ryan refused the offer, not wanting to gi
Ashton's Empire 125
Ryan woke up early on a Monday morning, eager to get to work and start the week off right. Stacy had made him. breakfast with the help of the maid of course."Thank you, baby," he said after a few bites and a sip of his coffee.He quickly got dressed, grabbed his briefcase, and headed out the door. Ryan's office was located in the heart of the city, and he had to his SUV to get there. He arrived at the red light waiting for every pedestrian to cross, and he hopped on board and drive straight. As Ryan rode in his car, he went over his to-do list in his head. He had a lot of meetings scheduled for the day, and he wanted to make sure he was fully prepared for each one.When Ryan arrived at his office building, he took the elevator up to the 20th floor where his office was located. As he walked down the hallway towards his office, he saw his assistant Lily waiting for him. "Good morning, Ryan," Lily said with a smile. "I have some great news for you. We have some investors waiting f
Ashton's Empire 126
The Fourth of July was around the corner and it would do good to know that Ethan had big plans got himself and Aria.Ethan had been looking forward to the Fourth of July for weeks. He had planned to spend the day at home with his family, grilling burgers and hotdogs and playing games in the backyard. But there was one thing missing from his plans - Aria, his new girlfriend.Ethan and Aria had been dating for a few months, and things were going well. They had both talked about how much they loved fireworks, and Ethan had an idea. He decided to invite Aria to spend the day with his family and then watch the fireworks together that night.As the day approached, Ethan made sure to clear his schedule so that he could spend as much time as possible with Aria. He also made sure to ask his parents if it would be okay for her to come over, and they were more than happy to have her.On the day of the Fourth, Ethan woke up early to start preparing for the day ahead. He made sure the grill was cl
Ashton's Empire 127
Ryan arrived at G&G modelling agency the next day feeling frustrated and angry. He had been unable to sleep the previous night after Emilie, his work colleague, had called him at an ungodly hour. His wife Stacy had become upset and her insecurities about Emilie, Ryan’s ex-wife, had been heightened. As he walked into the agency, Ryan could feel his temper rising. He walked straight to Emilie’s office and slammed the door shut behind him. “What the hell was that all about last night?” he demanded, his voice shaking with anger.Emilie looked up from her computer, visibly surprised by Ryan’s outburst. “I’m sorry, Ryan,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to upset you or Stacy. I just thought it was important to let you know about the new project.”Ryan shook his head, his frustration mounting. “That’s not the point, Emilie. You can’t just call me out of work hours like that. You’re nothing but a work colleague to me, and I expect you to respect my time.”Emilie nodded, looking chastened. “
Ashton's Empire 128
Asher woke up with a throbbing headache and a vague memory of the night before. He slowly sat up and saw a girl he had never seen before lying next to him. It took him a moment to remember that they had hooked up at a party. He couldn't remember her name.Asher got up and started getting dressed, hoping to sneak out without waking her up. But just as he was about to leave, she stirred and opened her eyes. "Hey," she said with a smile. "Morning."Asher awkwardly mumbled a reply and quickly left the room. As he walked down the hallway, he realized that he had no idea where he was or how to get back to his dorm. He felt like an idiot.As the weeks went on, Asher couldn't shake the feeling that he was being punished by the universe. Everywhere he turned, he saw the girl he had hooked up with. She was always smiling, even though everyone treated her like trash and a nerd. He couldn't understand why he had never noticed her before.On that Tuesday morning at school, Asher was walking down t