She was more impressed than upset by the incident. Nevertheless, as an employer, Ashley did not wish to lose her employee's respect through such embarrassment. Letting a security guard get cocky and treat her as a weakling was not what she wanted through their engagement. She had had enough people walk over her in the recent past."Pardonne-Moi. It was a one-time demonstration, ma'am," Guiscard explained. "It took me only an hour to plan. However, you have my word. It shall not be repeated.""Thank you," Ashley acknowledged. "It is safe to say now that you are hired.""I am pleased to hear that.""So! Chevy!" Tessa chimed in. She had finished her Long Island Iced Tea. Her mood was better than earlier, and the grating boldness had returned. "How do you describe yourself? A security guard? A bodyguard? A bouncer?" She had clearly been offended by the Frenchman's demonstration. Billionaire teens had fragile egos too."I would call myself a friend with benefits. Of course, my benefits a
Blaznavac was a luxury coffeehouse facing Malory Towers. Sandwiched between two skyscrapers, it was a two-storeyed cafe that looked like an establishment from the Renaissance period. Owned by Serbian entrepreneurs, it offered an exotic getaway for caffeine addicts from the grind of the corporate world.As Ashley stepped inside, the door opened, tinkling a bell to signal the arrival of a customer. The interior seemed aged half-century, in stark contrast to the Wall Street world outside. A tall, handsome attendant in a sleeveless coat approached her."Miss Palmer, good afternoon," he began with a Serbian accent. "The luksuzni is vacant presently, just how you like it."The joint had two levels. The obican, at the lower level, had over twenty tables and a hundred seats. There was a bustle, and waiters rushed around serving customers.The luksuzni, the upper level, was for exclusive members only. Ashley, being from the wealthy Palmer family, had a lifetime membership and was a regular at
SCARLET: [Hey, sis! Where are you? It's all over the news. Mom and Dad have been calling you, too!][Are you safe? I called the hotel; they told me you had left when the incident happened][Hey! Jake just texted me you are with Tessa. Thank God, Ashley!][Call me as soon as you can]"The bitch!" Ashley mouthed, reading her evil step-sister's messages. "How she wriggles in defeat!" Ashley's detour to meet Tessa in advance had foiled Scarlet's plans.The young Palmer felt like calling up the little villain and giving a piece of her mind. However, from experience, she had realized it would be a stupid, fatal mistake.Ashley needed to play along instead. Information was the key. There was no point in throwing away her only advantage until she had irrefutable evidence against Scarlet. Otherwise, the second chance of life would be in vain. ASHLEY: [Hey, sweetie, I am as safe as a swaddled baby! There is no need to be concerned.]Her step-sister replied immediately.SCARLET: [Can we meet u
Ashley blinked her eyes forcefully and shook her head. This seemed to make matters worse, as the cafe lights appeared to have dimmed. "Why would they do that? The night is approaching. They were supposed to switch on brighter lights."Ashley raised an arm to signal the barista, but she only managed to shrug."Damn! I must be exhausted!"Milan noticed her gesture and approached the table. However, he stood at a distance, speaking nothing. The barista had an unapologetic look on his face. "Perhaps his eyes were sad, as usual. Ashley's vision was too blurry to confirm that.""Sleepy. Really sleepy. Maybe I should nod off for a second. It has been a long day. I deserve the rest.""Sorry, Ma'am," Milan said, still keeping his distance."Why are you apologizing?" Ashley tried to say, but an unintelligible slur came out instead."I will apologize to the manager once I wake up,' Ashley murmured groggily. "As an exclusive member, I think I have paid enough to take a quick nap on their divan.
Ashley looked on, barely able to comprehend what was happening. She was so dehydrated that her eyes could not focus properly.Pavlov came over to her and shoved the bottle in her mouth.“Ovako ti se sviđa, kurvo.” [This is the way you like it, slut)." He sniggered maniacally.Ashley gagged on the water at first. It tasted and smelled like tobacco and rotten meat. She guzzled it down nonetheless, or she felt she would die of thirst.Pavlov quipped at the beauty. “Cak ni prostitutka koju sam danas posevio nije tako lako progutala moju pljuvacku!” [Even the whore I fucked today did not swallow my saliva so readily.]Both men guffawed and patted each other's backs. Ashley's vision gained stability with water in her system, and she looked down at herself.She was secured by duct tape to what appeared to be an engineering table. The drafting surface had been inclined to make her stand up. The tape went across her waist, pinning both arms to the table. Her legs were firmly bound to the furni
Ashley blinked to convey that she would behave.“Okay,” Nikolai began. "Where were we? Ah, yes. The reason you were taken was your boyfriend, your to-be-fiance, the richest drkadzija [motherfucker] of Norwich, Jake Grayson. You see, Miss, we are from the Zetelica."Zetelica? Ashley remembered the infamous name from an article she read in Newsweek magazine. The Zetelica was a branch of the Serb mafia based in Norwich.They allegedly ran organized crime syndicates across the city and had friends in high places. Their activities ranged from shark loaning to drugs to contract killing."Ah, from the look on your face, I can tell you have heard of us," Nicolai said. "The long and short of the matter is- your boyfriend and our leader, Leo Zetelica, bid for the same piece of land in Sweeney County.""Grayson outbid us and purchased the land, disregarding several warnings from us. The brat has already started a new industrial project there, bringing further humiliation to us. So, you see, we m
"That is impossible!" Ashley blurted out, visibly panicked. "It must be a misunderstanding!""I am afraid we have confirmed his decision twice already," Nicolai said with a crooked smile.Pavlov was cackling in the background. He barely let Ashley hear what Nicolai was saying."The exact words that Grayson said were I DON'T CARE."Ashley shook her head in denial. "Let me talk to him," she begged. "Please, get me on a call with Jake. Perhaps he thinks Zetelica bluffed about seizing me?""Do you think we are idiots?" Nicolai fired back. "We took pictures and videos of you. An associate of ours made sure your boyfriend saw them. I heard his decision to abandon you did not take long. You must accept the truth that Jake Grayson considered you a fuckhole and nothing else.""NO! Jake loves me!" As a response to that, even Nicolai joined Pavlov in the laughter. They sniggered like hyenas.'Or does he?' Ashley thought bitterly. 'Did he find an alternate way to steal her inheritance?'Wasn't Ja
Ashley's eyes widened in terror. It was like something out of a gore horror movie. She did not know how to react to her captor's pronouncement. Her body went numb, her stomach turned, and she wet herself. Pavlov broke into maniacal laughter. "Kurva se samo naljutila!" [The slut pissed herself!] Nicolai joined him in amusement. In some twisted sense, the scene was hilarious for the two villains.Nicolai stepped towards her with the machete. Pavlov extended an arm and patted his friend's back.Nicolai suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Sta je to?" [What is it?]"Ne zaboravljate li nesto, Nic?" [Are you not forgetting something, Nic?]"Hajde, covece. Nemamo vremena!" [Come on, man! We do not have the time!]"Pogledaj to dupe!" [But look at that piece of ass!]"Ok, dobro, ali nemojte to reci nasem vođi!" [Ok, fine, but do not breathe a word about this to our leader!] Pavlov threw up his arms to indicate that he understood. Nicolai turned to go. "Imate petnaest minuta." [You have fiftee
Jake tilted his head and regarded her with a smile. He liked flattery, especially from a beauty like Claire."Tomorrow, I'm gonna tell this story to my college friends," she murmured."What are you going to tell them?""Whatever happens tonight…." She trailed off as Jake took a hand to her thigh."Go on," he said, feeling the entire length from her knee to her hip."On second thought, I will not tell them the entire story.""Oh, really?" Jake grinned, leaning in and kissing her neck. "Will you be embarrassed by what happens tonight?""Maybe."Jake kissed her on the lips. "Good. I want you to be."Claire nodded. The wine had made her dreamy. Jake stood up and took her hand. He led her to the other end of the balcony.The girl was excited. Her heart was hammering like crazy. It was finally happening! Everything had fallen into place.Jake pulled her close. His hands went behind her and grabbed her buttocks. 'Ah, this feels good,' he thought. 'No silicone. Just a well-toned natural ass.'
Jake shook Claire's hand for the right amount of time and let go. 'Very professional,' she thought. He made constant eye contact and did not stare at her body as the other billionaires did. Part of him was aloof, as if he was somewhere else."I will take your leave, then," Rory announced. "The guys need a babysitter."Jake nodded, and Claire gave him two thumbs up as he left."Please join me," Jake invited her to the other end of the gallery. There were high-backed lounge chairs large enough to lie down. A low single-block dining table was aligned with them.Claire sat beside the billionaire, facing him, her legs crossed. "Thanks.""I noticed when you went to the bar; you ordered cranberry juice. Are you not allowed to drink? Any photoshoots or events coming up?""It's not that, Mr. Grayson-""Please call me Jake.""Hmm. It's not that, Jake, I do drink, but with the right company.""I can't promise to be the best drinking partner but, let's see what we have here–"Jake removed a tinte
"Don't forget to smile," Bono always reminded her. Powerful men had no interest in a dull and disobedient face.Chicksaw had barely looked at her face. He had a scotch in one hand- his fifth of the evening. His eyes crawled over her from bust to hip, over and over. Spencer kissed her hand, and his lips lingered on her skin a while longer than comfortable.Perry was the most daredevil. "That body is to die for, girl."Claire felt more flattered than offended. 'These are men who could have any girl they wanted, and yet they are interested in what I have to offer,' she told herself."Thank you," she replied with her least flirtatious smile."Last but not the least, Kumar Rajesh, the Assistant District Attorney," Rory said."Welcome to the party, ma'am," Rajesh said, his sharp eyes meeting hers. 'Perhaps the only gentleman at the party,' Claire surmised. "I must ask," she addressed the elite group. "I was looking forward to meeting the host of the party. Has he retired for the day?"All
"Hi! Miss Fox, is it?"Rory James was the only casually dressed guest in Elysium Hall at the moment. He looked not very different from his YouTube videos. The close-cropped ash-blond hair, the youthful charm, the Versace pullover cardigan with Escada jeans. Everything spelled Rory James in caps. His casual wear was more expensive than most of the suits at the party, though. Even then and there, at the bachelor party of his best friend, he was promoting brands like Nike, Apple, and Rolex. The truth was, Rory liked suits and formal wear over casuals. His boyfriend shopped for them both at Armani and REISS. However, both his love for the tuxedo and his sexual orientation were best-kept secrets. Only his inner circle was party to his preferences and inclinations.Rory had to keep up the image of the cool, straight, urban, and carefree guy. It defined his internet personality. Anything different would be damaging to his social media image.Rory had sprung into action on Jake's request and
Claire's victory in the Miss World Norwich contest was no fluke. The judges had unanimously voted for her. She was genetically gifted, with her nordic blue eyes, facial symmetry, high cheekbones, and flawless skin. Her Swedish descent from her mother's side had mixed well with her father's Connecticut genes to produce a one in million beauty. Claire had crafted her god-given gifts into a masterpiece. She looked around and saw the 'hot models' at the party. "Where are these other girls from?" she asked Bono. "Pfft! Them? Talent agencies. Luxury strip clubs. Escort services. The organizers paid a steep dime to get the best girls. But they are all uglies compared to you, baby." "Thanks, Bono." Her manager did exaggerate her beauty sometimes. Nevertheless, he was not wrong this time. The girls traipsing around as if the place belonged to them were undoubtedly attractive from their shapes and sizes. However, nobody came close to Claire in sheer beauty. She turned more heads than al
The 50th floor of Malory Towers had a banquet hall so spacious that it dwarfed the town hall of Norwich City. Ten years back, when the 50th story was constructed, Jake's late father, Richard Grayson, had named the cavernous den Chive hall after a street he grew up on. Chive street belonged to rural Scotland. The name was reminiscent of Richard’s journey from a hapless boy on the streets of central Scotland to the wealthiest man in one of the leading cities in America. His rags to riches story was fit for a movie screenplay. Unfortunately, Richard suffered a heart attack three years back, leaving his staggering empire for Jake. His son was a swashbuckling businessman and took Grayson Enterprises to greater heights. However, he did not share the same roots of sentimentality characteristic of the founder of the company. The previous year, Jake had renamed the banquet space to Elysium Hall. Regardless, Elysium Hall lived up to the grandeur of its name. The ceiling, fifty feet high, was
Ashley watched the scene with a gaping mouth. Once the action stopped, she immediately exited the van. She picked up the gun that had skidded near the front tires."Who are you?" Ashley shouted, aiming the gun at the stranger. "Show me your face!" In the van's fog light, the man turned around with a flourish. He raised an arm and opened his man-bun. Shoulder-length hair bounced down the Frenchman’s face.Guiscard! It was Chevalier de Guiscard!"It is me! Chevy, ma'am!" he said, ruffling his hair."Oh, my God!"Ashley pulled the trigger. Bang! The target took the bullet and collapsed. She had shot Nicolai, who had been trying to inch closer to a dropped gun."Good shot," Guiscard said.Ashley walked towards him. "Give me a minute."He nodded. "Sure, ma'am."The young woman headed to where Pavlov lay, writhing in pain. As Ashley approached him, he grimaced with disgust.“Jebena drolja (Fucking slut)! Daj mi pistolj! (Give me the gun)!” "You like hitting women, don't you?" Ashley fired
Ashley's eyes opened a crack. The surroundings were cramped and dimly lit. She lay on her back; her wrists and feet were bound with duct tape. The place smelled of mildew and armpits. A splitting headache and nausea hit her, but she held back from groaning. Ashley's eyes had adjusted to the lighting, and she could see two thickset men looming over her. The Serbs! Zetelica!They seemed to ignore her for the time being, assuming she was knocked out. It took Ashley another minute to realize that she lay on the molded carpet of a vehicle in motion. 'A van? A large wagon?' Because of the poor lighting, her captors did not notice that she had returned to her senses.A blinding migraine overwhelmed her for a few seconds. Ashley let the memories of the day flood back. 'Let me review the situation. The testosterone capsules have worked, apparently. They dulled the longevity of the sedative that Milan gave me in the coffee. I woke up much earlier than I was supposed to.''But then, what
The little girl shook her head and let out a fresh spurt of sobs. Evelyn bit her lip. How much suffering has Ashley been through to travel back into her childhood? Regardless of age, the girl was her daughter."It is okay, sweetie," Evelyn said, "I do not think you have much time left here with me, so let me tell you this quickly. Be patient and strong no matter how painful it gets. It is all for a purpose. Remember that.""What purpose? I cannot do this anymore, mom! Please help me! It is too much!"Evelyn regarded her dewy-eyed daughter. 'She is going to fall apart this way.'"Hey, sweetie, do you remember Toby?" Ashley looked up, trying to remember. "Toby?" the little voice squeaked."Let me remind you. Toby was this nuisance from 3rd grade in school. He was a real you-know-what. One day the boy picked on you and pulled on your pigtails while singing a funny song. Everyone in the class laughed at you."Ashley opened her mouth, trying to recall the incident. She had a vague recoll