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The Rise of Ashton Chapter Forty one
A Family Meeting The black luxury car pulled smoothly into Verena’s large estate, it was big. Ashton had seen wealth before. At least for the last few weeks since his return to the Reed family, he'd seen luxury. But this? This was on another level. It couldn't compare to anything he'd seen before. The driveway alone was impressive, it was an intricate design of stonework leading up to an estate so large it looked more like a private fortress. Towering columns. Expansive glass windows that gleamed even in the dim light. Perfectly trimmed hedges that likely cost more than some people’s entire salaries to maintain. Everything about it screamed power. But none of it prepared Ashton for the real shock. Because standing there, right in the middle of the compound, was someone he never expected to see again. Celeste. Ashton couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips. The air in the car became suddenly too tight. He couldn't breath well. His grip on the seat tightened. His h
The Rise of Ashton Chapter Forty two
The Other Side of the Coin There was silence in the penthouse. Ashton’s grip on Augustine’s hand remained firm for a second longer before he finally let go, stepping back and shoving his hands into his pockets. His gaze went between his father and his so-called brother, the strange Augustine Reed. The resemblance was undeniable. It was uncanny. In fact, Ashton has goosebumps just looking at him. It felt like seeing one's reflection on the mirror. But there was something different about Augustine. Something cocky. Frederick leaned back in his chair, watching them both with a satisfied expression. “Now that introductions are out of the way, we have more pressing matters to discuss.” Ashton’s arms crossed over his chest. “Like what?” Frederick exhaled, tapping his fingers on the armrest. “Titanium Incorporated is in trouble, but we all know that by now. We’re trying to store up money, losing investors, and if things continue at this rate, we’ll be out of business before we kno
The Rise of Ashton Chapter Forty three
The Price of SecretsAshton paced the dimly lit alleyway, hands shoved deep into his pockets as he scanned the street for the contact Carter had arranged. He has no business being her dead into the night. But Carter had insisted that if he wanted to meet the man, daylight wouldn't be good. The city was alive even at midnight, neon signs flickering from nightclubs and bars. But all Ashton could focus on was one name, Benjamin.What did Benjamin know? He's been with him all through college and although it wasn't all a lie, still, he knew something. He had to. He needed answers, and if there was even a chance that Benjamin was still alive, he had to find him. A black sedan rolled up to the curb suddenly as he stood there. Its tinted windows concealing whoever was inside. Ashton tensed as the passenger door creaked open. “You Ashton Reed?” A rough voice asked from within. Ashton hesitated, his instincts on alert. He wasn’t entirely sure this wasn’t a setup. “Depends on who’s aski
The Rise of Ashton Chapter Forty four
A Legacy of LiesDrama. Ashton could almost smell it and he got into the elevator with Liam right beside him. There was very little he could do now. Frederick himself had set up a meeting and ordered his sons to attend. It didn't matter if Ashton wanted to work with his brother or not, he had to. The boardroom at Titanium Corporation looked more or less like a battlefield. He could see that Augustine was alone. But he slouched on the seat like he owned the room. “Arrogant prick,” Ashton mumbled under his breath as he took his head just at the head of the table. “Isn't it sweet that we all had to wait for you to show up? What great example are you showing as the CEO?” Augustine cleared his throat and said in the most kind voice. Ashton hissed under his breath. But of course, he couldn't react harshly, all eyes were on him. “I had a few things to sort out with the finance department," he replied. Augustine hummed and then looked at everyone. "I thought I heard he got rid of t
The Rise of Ashton Chapter Forty five
The Woman Who Left Ashton stood in the dimly lit penthouse, his pulse was hammering wildly in his ears. What was his father talking about? Who was the woman? His eyes flickered toward the door as the raggedly dressed woman stepped inside. She was hesitant, her movements uncertain, as if she didn’t belong. She lingered in the doorway, her fingers ghosting over the pristine white walls for balance.She looked hungry, like she could barely stand on her own. Her clothes were worn, her sand brown hair slightly unkempt, but her eyes looked stronger than the rest of her, like she was looking forward to something.Ashton didn't know what to say. Who was she? Why was she so poorly dressed and why was she in the Reed estate? These questions rang in his mind but he couldn't bring himself to ask them. Somehow, the room had become even more tense. His father was watching the strange woman with a frown on his face. His eyes were red and his jaw clenched. The moment her fingertips brushed a
The Rise of Ashton Chapter Forty six
The Beast AwakenedYour mother. Those words left him dumbfounded. The words left him stunned. The room went silent. Ashton’s body locked up. The air in his lungs turned to stone. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. His gaze snapped back to the woman—his mother—but she was already looking at him with desperate, tear filled eyes. A painful lump formed in his throat. This couldn’t be real. Could it? He'd learnt that his mother was dead. His father was barely ever around. His entire life was a lie. She reached for him again, her fingers hesitant. “Ashton…” she whispered, her voice cracking with raw emotion. “My baby…” Ashton jerked away. His heart pounded so violently he could hear it in his ears. His mother. The woman who had abandoned him. He staggered back a step, his entire world shattering in an instant. Frederick watched, his expression smug as if this was all some sort of twisted victory for him. But Ashton’s mind was spiraling. He had spent his
The Rise of Ashton Chapter Forty seven
The Warehouse TrapAshton drove like the devil was on his heels. And maybe he was. Because he'd never felt anger like this in a very long time, not even when his so-called brother was trying to get on his nerves. He had to get to Lancaster and find out why his father was so eager to get rid of Benjamin. What secrets did the old man hold? The city was cloaked in the deep shadows of midnight as Ashton pulled into a nearly deserted parking lot on the outskirts of town. The streetlights flickered overhead and everywhere was gravely quiet. He cut the engine, his fingers still gripping the steering wheel tightly as he scanned the area. “He's not here," he whispered under his breathe. But just as he scanned the area, he soon spotted a lone figure that stood by a rusted bench, barely illuminated by the weak light above him. Lancaster. “About time," Ashton whispered with a sigh and closed the car door as he stepped out. The investigator had one hand tucked into his coat pocket whil
The Rise of Ashton Chapter Forty eight
Into the DepthsOne plunge and the world faded into darkness. Cold. Black. Cold. Black. That's all he felt as he dived into the rushing river. The icy water swallowed Ashton whole, numbing his body instantly as he fought the urge to breathe. The current was stronger than he expected, pulling at his limbs as he fought to surface. Behind him, he heard the distant splash of Lancaster hitting the water, followed by the muffled roar of gunfire. The attackers weren’t giving up. “Find him!" One of them bellowed over the rushing of the river. This was Ashton’s warning to not break the surface. He had to remain underneath in order to not give off his location in the water. With all the strength that remained in his wet and numb muscles, he continued to fight against the currents until he was far off from the attackers. He could still hear the distant and muffled sound of gunshots and the drop of bullets in the river. Finally, after a few minutes of struggling, he broke the surface, g
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Chapter Ninety Nine
Blood of my Blood Ashton didn't have to wait for a reply before he ended the call and slipped through the iron gates of the Green estate and headed straight to the garden. Augustine was waiting there for him no doubt. He found his car parked behind a row of flowers, the engine still warm. Sliding into the driver’s seat, he saw Augustine with a black hoodie sitting in the confines of the car. Augustine pulled back the hoodie and spun around, the corners of his mouth lifting in a rare grin. “You made it,” he said. “I half-expected Marcel to intercept you.” Well, he wasn't lying. “Nearly got held up, thank goodness the driver stopped being so nosey.,” Ashton replied, allowing himself a laugh. “Yeap, I noticed when I first arrived that Marcel wanted to have me under lock and key. I had to break off in order to keep working at Titanium." Ashton nodded. Now it made sense why Augustine had decided to pretend to be a wayward boy just to get what he wanted. Being in the Green Mansion
Chapter Ninety Eight
A Ghost in the MirrorAshton sat there, stunned, staring at the name on the file. Lily Forrest.She was regarded as a ghost in the tabloid news. A missing heiress. A tragedy that had befallen a once great family. "How sure are you about this?" Ashton asked, still bewildered. Lancaster leaned back and sipped his coffee slowly. "One hundred percent. She was declared missing and then after spending a lot of money to find her, her family finally gave up and she's never been found." “She's the one then, if she's missing and her name is Lily then she could be the one. But how does this relate to Marcel? There could be a million missing Lily's in this city.” "Well, she's linked to Marcel somehow. The Forrest family knew the Green family for so long. So…there's a link somehow.” Ashton dragged a hand through his hair. trying his best to fit the pieces together. Marcel had been hiding a girl in his basement for how long? "If she's supposed to be dead," Ashton said slowly, "then how the
Chapter Ninety Seven
A Missing Forest In just a few minutes, Ashton arrived at Swam Limited. It was magnificent, the sheer beauty of it still stunned him. But he knew this was all seeds of wickedness. “Goodness! No wonder they're friends," he hissed. Peter, the driver, looked at him through the rearview mirror and asked, “who are friends?" Ashton replied, "nothing.” Shortly they rolled into the parking lot and Ashton got out of the vehicle closing the door softly behind him. Ashton stepped into the elevator and adjusted the cuffs of his designer suit, preparing himself for yet another tiring day in this establishment. He had become a worker for both Frederick and Marcel, helping them build their empires even when he knew that they did not care about him. But it was all going to be to his advantage and one way or the other he would make them pay, both of them. As soon as he got inside his secretary, Amanda ran to his side, “Thank goodness you arrived on time, the meeting is set to start, sir." A
Chapter Ninety Six
His New Mission It was a new day. The morning sun poured through the tall windows of the Green family mansion. Ashton had barely slept the previous night. Nightmares of Marcel and the nas girl plagued him even as he had breakfast. He sat alone, dressed in a simple grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up, sipping a warm cup of coffee. His eyes were distant as he stared at the meal but couldn't seem to erase the thoughts of the previous night. The revelations about Marcel left a bitter taste in Ashton’s mouth. This man was up to something. He was no knight in shining armor. He was a monster.While he was still picking on his toaster, bacon, omelette and coffee, footsteps echoed down the staircase, softly. Ashton looked up and saw Veronica appear at the edge of the room, wrapped in a navy-blue bathrobe. She looked like she'd just showered and her dark hair was still damp from the shower. Her anger was quite obvious and even before she spoke, he could hear the irritation in her foot
Chapter Ninety Five
The Green Monster Ashton felt bad for her. What could she have possibly done that would justify such harsh treatment? He reached out to hold her hands but she jerked away violently. "I don’t like to be touched," she said suddenly. "Don’t come any closer.."Ashton froze. "I wasn’t going to." He lied. "I trusted someone once. A girl. She said she was my friend and I believed her, but she was a spy. Marcel sent her to watch me and see if I was healing. And when I told her that I was, she reported it. And then they brought the doctors."Her voice cracked and she was now trembling at the memories. "They made it worse. So much worse."Ashton’s stomach turned. Marcel had mentioned doctors occasionally visiting Lily for her condition. He’d said he paid the best of doctors and nurses to attend to her. Now he wasn’t so sure if it was to hurt her or cure her. He looked into her eyes again. There was so much pain there, buried beneath layers of anger and bitterness. How long had she been h
Chapter Ninety Four
Finding Insanity 2 The Green Mansion was quiet at midnight and Ashton knew this was the right time to move around. No one would see him. He was under the cover of darkness. Slowly, he rose from the dinner table and the maid moved close to him. "Would you like anything like dessert before bed?” She asked. The idea of a sweet and sugary treat sounded fun but he had other things to attend to. "No, I'll just get in bed. I'm exhausted,” he said, placing his hands on his forehead dramatically. She nodded, apologized and went off. As soon as he returned to his room, he locked the door, and shed the clean shirt and slacks Marcel had gifted him. In their place, he pulled on a black long-sleeved hoodie, jeans, and soft boots. He strapped a flashlight to his belt, then pulled up the hood. There was no one around as he stepped into the hallway, but he moved quietly anyway, sticking to the parts of the mansion he knew no one strolled. The left wing of the mansion was kind of forbidden.
Chapter Ninety Three
Finding InsanitySoon, they got to the parking lot and got into their car. “Take me out of this bloody place," Ashton hissed. Somehow, he couldn't even stand the sight of the company anymore. It was sad that he'd built something like his and yet his father couldn't even take clean deals. He was greedy and he was willing to con a clueless monarch's wife. Well, the joke was on him. In the black sedan, Ashton peeled off the prosthetic beard, the fake eyebrows, and the glasses."God, that glue smells like death."Veronica, however, remained in character until they pulled up to the Vermartel Hotel and got into their suite. In fact, she looked like she liked her disguise. “Won't you get out of that body suit?" He finally asked. She smirked and began to remove her sunglasses and slowly unwind her turban.Her wig came off next, and her real hair tumbled free in soft waves. She pulled the padding from under her dress, revealing her true slender form."You did it," Ashton said, watchin
Chapter Ninety Two
A Deal with DevilsEveryone was in awe. The rich heiress. A monarch’s wife rumoured to own an entire village. Ashton has picked out the best profile for their disguise. A name they could not refuse or dispute. Veronica, or rather, Miss Pam, sat like a matriarch that she claimed to be.Ashton stood behind her, arms folded, disguised with a salt-and-pepper beard and thick-rimmed glasses. He played the role of her assistant and nephew, he remained quiet and held her handbag. Beside him, Augustine leaned against the table, arms crossed tightly across his chest, eyeing the other board members intensely. They all stared at her with open admiration and it seemed none of them was eager to break the silence. "So, Miss Pam," began one of the directors, a balding man with gold rings on three fingers, "you’re offering what exactly in terms of capital injection?"Veronica clipped her fingers. "Two hundred million dollars in three phases. I want board influence, multiple shares and exclusive
Chapter Ninety One
Hello, Miss Pam. Time was ticking. There was no way he was going to get there in fifteen minutes, but Ashton was counting on making an entrance either way. “What is keeping her?" He hissed impatiently and looked at his Patek Philippe watch. It was getting really late and soon, Augustine was going to be on his neck. “Gosh! Doesn't she understand the meaning of urgent?!" His fists clenched. Maybe he should have done this himself. What was keeping his sister? Just as he continued to fume, a car pulled up to the front entrance of the Vermartel Hotel. Ashton stood by the revolving doors, dressed in a simple gray suit, a flat cap tugged low over his brow, and dark glasses shielding most of his face. He had a full ginger beard and he looked nothing like his former self. It was a simple disguise that would work. All he had to do was talk less. He glanced at his watch, then at the street.Right on cue, the back door of the car opened.A woman stepped out.Ashton blinked and then bl
