CHAPTER FOUR

ADRIAN POINT OF VIEW

"I was hitted by Emily." I replied.

I hesitated before answering, but their piercing gazes made it clear that avoiding the truth wasn’t an option. I didn’t want to stir up more trouble, especially with Emily glaring daggers at me, but I also didn’t want to lie to the people who were sitting in front of me. The truth had a way of catching up, no matter how hard you tried to bury it.

Mr. Ashton’s expression darkened as he glanced between me and his daughter. "Emily," he began, looking shocked and disappointed at the same time, "is this true?"

Emily crossed her arm, standing straight as if daring anyone to challenge her. She didn’t bother denying it, her silence was enough of an answer. Instead, she rolled her eyes and looked away, clearly annoyed at being put on the spot. It was like she was daring me to say more, but I kept my mouth shut.

"Why?" Mrs. Ashton asked, her voice was softer, and filled with  motherly concern. "What happened?"

Emily's eyes flashed with anger, "Why?" Emily repeated cold. "Well that's Because I won’t tolerate incompetence, that’s why."

"Emily, that's no excuse," Mr. Ashton cut in, his voice firm. "This is unacceptable behaviour, and you know it."

There was a thick, uncomfortable silence, the kind that makes you feel like you’re intruding on a family matter. I shifted uncomfortably, wanting nothing more than to disappear. This wasn’t what I signed up for. But I couldn’t leave now; not when I had nowhere else to go.

Ashley stepped closer to me, her eyes wide with worry. "Are you okay, Adrian?" she asked softly, her concern genuine and unexpected. I nodded quickly, not wanting to cause more trouble.

"I’m fine, really," I assured her, I didn't want her to come closer to me, so her family won't misinterpret it.

"It’s just a misunderstanding." Emily said, coldly, not feeling remorse a bit. 

"That’s enough, Emily," Mr. Ashton said, turning his attention back to his daughter. "You need to apologise to Adrian. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable.

Emily’s eyes narrowed at me, and for a moment, I thought she was going to apologise. But instead, she merely turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.

"Emily!" Mrs. Ashton called after her, but she was already gone.

There was another long pause before Mr. Ashton finally spoke again. "Adrian, I’m sorry you had to go through that," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Emily...she’s been going through a lot lately, but that doesn’t excuse her actions."

I wanted to tell him that it was okay, that I could handle it, but the words stuck in my throat. Because the truth was, it wasn’t okay. And I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take.

"I’ll talk to her," he continued, more to himself than to me. "This can’t go on."

"Thank you, sir," I said quietly, not wanting to get myself involved in their family drama. "But please, there’s no need to worry. I’m here to do my job, and that’s what I’ll keep doing."

Mr. Ashton stared at me for a long time, as if trying to figure me out. But then he nodded. "You’re a good man, Adrian. I appreciate your patience.

I forced a smile and nodded back, though the compliment felt like a burden more than anything else. "Thank you, sir."

As I turned to leave the room, I caught a glimpse of Ashley and Elena, both watching me, looking concerned. It made me feel a little better, knowing that not everyone in this house was against me. But it also made me feel worse, because I knew I was hiding something big. Something that, if they ever found out, could ruin everything.

I stepped outside, feeling the cool evening air against my face. My cheek still stung from Emily’s slap. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. No matter what happened, I had to keep going.

I don't know if I will be able to cope with working with the Ashton's, because I know for sure that Emily would give me a really hard time and working with her won't be easy.

I was still lost in thought that I didn't know when Ashley came to my side. Until she tapped me gently on the arm.

"Adrian are you okay, you look lost?" Ashley asked, gently, her voice calming the turmoil I feel inside of me.

"Oh I'm fine ma'am" I replied, trying my best to sound professional.

"Oh, I doubt that, how about I take you for dinner to take your mind off all that has happened?" Ashley asked, giving me her cute puppy eyes which I find difficult to say no to, but either way I have to say no, I have to remain professional and follow the rule I was given.

"I really appreciate your gesture ma'am, but I'm sorry I can't." I replied, keeping my head down.

"You have to go, and enough with this ma'am. My name is Ashley, and not ma'am. If you would go, it is an order." she insisted.

"But I can't, my work is to drive, not follow you to dinner." I replied, even though deep down I would like to go, and leave this hell of a house for some hours and enjoy my life.

"So, do you want me to report to my dad, telling him you disobeyed my order?"she asked, giving me an evil smirk.

I looked at Ashley, her smirk daring me to challenge her. There was a playful look in her eyes, but I could sense the seriousness behind her words. She wasn’t just teasing; she was testing me.

"I really don't want to cause any trouble, Ashley," I said, trying to keep my tone even. "I’m just here to do my job."

Ashley’s expression softened slightly, but the smirk remained. "Adrian, you’re not causing trouble. I just want to make sure you’re okay. You’ve been through a lot today, and honestly, you deserve a break. Besides, it’s just dinner, not a life-or-death situation."

Her persistence was making it harder to say no. I knew she meant well, but the last thing I wanted was to blur the lines between my job and my personal life. Yet, there was something about her offer that was tempting. Maybe it was the fact that someone in this house was finally being nice to me, or maybe it was the way she looked at me like she genuinely cared.

"Okay, fine," I sighed, finally giving in. "But just dinner, nothing more."

Ashley’s face lit up with a bright smile, and for a moment, I forgot all about the tension from earlier. "Great! Let me just grab my coat, and we’ll head out."

As she walked back into the house, I couldn’t help but feel anxious and excited at the same time. Dinner with Ashley wasn’t part of the plan, but maybe it would be a good distraction. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was getting deeper than I intended.

A few minutes later, Ashley reappeared, with a coat in her hand. "Ready?" she asked happily.

I nodded, leading the way to the car. As I opened the door for her, she gave me a grateful smile before sliding in. I took a deep breath, trying to push aside my worries, and got in the driver’s seat.

The drive to the restaurant was surprisingly pleasant. Ashley talked about everything from her favourite movies to the latest gossip in town.

When we arrived at the restaurant, Ashley insisted on picking a cosy booth in the corner, away from prying eyes. We sat down, and a waiter quickly came over to take our orders. Ashley and I ordered something light, while we waited for the waiter to bring our order. 

"So, Adrian," Ashley began, leaning forward slightly, "tell me about yourself. How did you end up working for my family?"

I hesitated, not wanting to share too much, her question caught me off guard, because I'm not used to people prying into my personal life. "It’s a long story," I said, trying to keep things unclear to her.

"I’ve got time," she replied with a smile.

I sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to let it go. "I needed a job, and your family was hiring. That’s pretty much it."

Ashley frowned, clearly not satisfied with my answer. "There’s got to be more to it than that. What were you doing before?"

I glanced away, not wanting to delve into my past. "Just some odd jobs here and there." I lied through gritted teeth, I didn't want to expose anything to her, if I wants to keep this job.

She studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Well, whatever brought you here, I’m glad you’re with us now."

I forced a smile, not sure how to respond. The truth was, I wasn’t sure if I was glad to be here. This job was quickly turning into more than I’d bargained for.

The rest of the dinner went by quickly, and I won't lie I enjoyed the dinner. Even though Ashley did most of the talking. 

"You know, Adrian, you’re not like anyone else who’s worked for us," she said after a while, breaking the silence. "There’s something different about you."

I chuckled lightly. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A good thing," she replied without hesitation. "You’re real. You don’t put on a front like everyone else. I respect that."

As we finished up, with our food and headed back to the car, Ashley stopped me. "Adrian, I know my sister can be... difficult. But don’t let her get to you, okay?"

I nodded, appreciating her concern. "I’ll try."

She gave me a small smile. "Good. Now let’s get home before she starts wondering where we are."

The drive back was quiet, and by the time we returned, the house was dark and silent. I parked the car and walked Ashley to the door, as Ashley was about to open the door, the door opened revealing no one but Emily. 

"And where are you two coming from, this late?" Emily asked, glaring dagger at us both. 

"Where we are coming from is none of your concern." Ashley replied rudely, trying to pull me inside with her. 

But I stood rigid on my spot not knowing how to react when I also saw Mr Ashton standing behind Emily.