The sound of the soft hum of Ashton Pearce's estate at night was as peaceful as the day had been. The chirping crickets in the nearby gardens and the faint rustle of the wind through the Ashwagandha fields created an atmosphere of somewhat quietness and serenity. Ashton leaned against the railing of his porch,he held a glass of wine in his hand as he watched the moonlight bathe his empire. He felt the calmness seep into his bones, an absolute feeling of completeness he hadn’t known in years.This was the life, his subconscious told him. But something felt off. Despite the tranquility surrounding him, there was a weight in the air—a quiet foreboding that he couldn't just shake off. Perhaps it was the nerves about his upcoming proposal to Elizabeth, or maybe it was the realization that even at the peak of success, there were still uncertainties in life. Ashton sipped his wine while he tried to shake off the feeling.He didn't know what it was but he sensed something. He heard the soft
Rebecca drove home in the dead of the night, the glow of the streetlights flashed across her face while she drove. Her mind was still churned with thoughts of her confrontation with Ashton. The memory of his shocked expression, the disbelief in his eyes—it fueled her. She laughed out loud, it was in despair though. Ashton Pearce had built an empire, moved on from her, and was about to live his perfect life with Elizabeth, but now she had the power to destroy it all. Yesss. And it was such a satisfaction seeing him that flustered. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel tighter, her breath came out in short, controlled bursts. She was almost smiling as she pulled into the long driveway of her family’s estate, the heavy iron gates creaking as they shut behind her.The Knowles mansion stood imposing against the night sky. She stepped out of the car and her heels clicked against the stone path much like they had when she walked toward Ashton. It was a sound that felt comf
The sound of the soft hum of Ashton Pearce's estate at night was as peaceful as the day had been. The chirping crickets in the nearby gardens and the faint rustle of the wind through the Ashwagandha fields created an atmosphere of somewhat quietness and serenity. Ashton leaned against the railing of his porch,he held a glass of wine in his hand as he watched the moonlight bathe his empire. He felt the calmness seep into his bones, an absolute feeling of completeness he hadn’t known in years.This was the life, his subconscious told him. But something felt off. Despite the tranquility surrounding him, there was a weight in the air—a quiet foreboding that he couldn't just shake off. Perhaps it was the nerves about his upcoming proposal to Elizabeth, or maybe it was the realization that even at the peak of success, there were still uncertainties in life. Ashton sipped his wine while he tried to shake off the feeling.He didn't know what it was but he sensed something. He heard the soft
Rebecca drove home in the dead of the night, the glow of the streetlights flashed across her face while she drove. Her mind was still churned with thoughts of her confrontation with Ashton. The memory of his shocked expression, the disbelief in his eyes—it fueled her. She laughed out loud, it was in despair though. Ashton Pearce had built an empire, moved on from her, and was about to live his perfect life with Elizabeth, but now she had the power to destroy it all. Yesss. And it was such a satisfaction seeing him that flustered. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel tighter, her breath came out in short, controlled bursts. She was almost smiling as she pulled into the long driveway of her family’s estate, the heavy iron gates creaking as they shut behind her.The Knowles mansion stood imposing against the night sky. She stepped out of the car and her heels clicked against the stone path much like they had when she walked toward Ashton. It was a sound that felt comf
The morning sun made out seemings of long shadows over the city as Rebecca Knowles strode confidently into the towering building that housed Jameson Enterprises. Her heels arrogantly clicked with purpose against the marble floors as she made her way through the grand lobby that led to Myles' office. The receptionist greeted her with a hesitant smile, she was quite unsure of whether or not to announce her sudden arrival."Mr. Jameson is expecting me," Rebecca said to her. Her tone was dismissive and firm. She didn’t wait for a response and proceeded toward the elevators as if she owned the place. The receptionist stood there, perplexed and not knowing what to do. The ride to the top floor was slow, it gave Rebecca enough time to rehearse out her plan over and over in her head. Myles Jameson might think that Ashton had won when he had wrested control of the company from her and all was forgotten, but today, he would learn just how mistaken he was. She had no intention of letting anyone
Ashton stood at the front of the large lecture hall, he stared back out at the sea of eager faces that stared back at him. Rows and rows of college students sat attentively, notebooks in their hand, as they hung on to his every word. It was always like this when he gave talks—people were fascinated by his work, by the success he had built right from the ground up. Today, however, was different. His mind was clouded, it was preoccupied with thoughts that he couldn’t shake.He clearer his throat, as he forced himself to focus. He smiled at the audience, his usual charm he could feel as if flickered back to life."Now, as many of you know," Ashton began, his voice was steady as hus eyes moved from one corner of the room, "our company has dedicated years to the study and utilization of ashwagandha, an ancient medicinal plant that’s been a cornerstone of healing practices for over three thousand years." He said confidently. A murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd. Ashton continue
Ashton was still in edge. He took a deep breath as he walked up the marble steps to Thomas Gomez’s office. It had been quite a long while since he’d seen his friend, and though he wasn’t one to seek help often, today was entirely different. He needed advice—he badly needed a clear perspective, and if anyone could help him think straight, it was Thomas.No one else at the moment could do that for him if not Thomas Gomez. The receptionist smiled as Ashton entered and Ashton returned the smile back. “Mr. Pearce, good to see you,” she said and then she proceeded to buzz him through without hesitation. His presence always seemed to bring a certain level of respect, though Ashton hardly noticed it these days. He had bigger things on his mind.Thomas’s office door was slightly ajar, and Ashton knocked lightly before he gently pushed it open and let himself in. "Ashton!" Thomas’s face lit up with a wide grin as he stood up from behind his desk, he extended his hand to him for a handshake.
Rebecca’s mustang sped through the city streets, her manicured fingers gripped tightly, the steering wheel. Myles sat in the passenger seat beside her, his brows were furrowed with worry as he glanced over at her. He had no idea what she had in mind and neither did he know where they were both going to. She had just asked him to meet her at his car pack as she wanted to have a word with him and now here they were, in the middle of the road, heading to God knows where. He didn't know where it was that they were going to, but he could already tell it was going to be trouble. With Rebecca, it always was. "Where are we going?" Myles asked her, his voice cut through the tension-filled silence in the car."You’ll see," Rebecca replied, her eyes were still fixed on the road ahead of her. Her lips were curled into a smile that sent a shiver down Myles’s spine. He knew that smile. It was the one she wore when she was about to pull something reckless, something that would inevitably drag him d