Ashton Pearce slumped back on the couch in his sparsely furnished apartment, his head spinned from the chaos that had only that evening just erupted in the past few hours. The room was dark, it was lit only by the flash of his phone, which on its own part buzzed incessantly on the coffee table. He glared at it, he was honestly tempted to throw it against the wall. His heart pounded in frustration, anger, and disbelief.How could these allegations that were false by the way, be flying so quickly? He wondered. The news was everywhere. His engagement to Elizabeth Cooper, which by the way, should have been the happiest moment of his life, but now, now if had turned into a media frenzy, fueled by rumors he frankly didn't know what they were all about. He knew who was doing this though and it was infuriating. Now, his name was plastered on every gossip blog, every tabloid, and every social media platform. And what was the story? That he was a liar, a manipulator, and worst of all—that he
Rebecca Knowles entered the brightly lit studio with an air of satisfaction about her. Yes. This was it. It was finally time to get her game on. Oh Ashton Pearce, you honestly have no idea about what is coming for you, you know. The production crew greeted her warmly, and she flashed a charming smile their way, a smile by the way that masked the venom that brewed inside her. Today was her moment—the interview she had orchestrated would air her fabricated side of the story to the world. She was about to paint Ashton Pearce as a heartless man who had abandoned her and their supposed child for a wealthier woman, and no one would question it.The studio was bustling with activity as the producers and hosts prepped for the big moment. Rebecca felt a surge of excitement as she was escorted to the interview room. Her black tailored suit exuded both elegance and power, it frankly made her to feel really invincible. This was her stage, and she was ready to play her role to perfection. She was
Rebecca strode confidently out of her penthouse the next morning, she was dressed in a sharp, navy-blue business suit that radiated power and gave off what she described to be sexiness with a touch of sass. Her heels clicked against the polished marble floor as she made her way to the sleek black car where Myles was already waiting for her. This day wasn’t just another day—it was the day she would confront the federal authorities and reclaim her empire, Knowles Corps.Or so she thought....She sleekly slid into the car beside Myles, she barely spared him a glance as she reviewed the documents they were about to present. Her mind was entirely focused on getting her company back. After all, she had done her part—she had managed to paint Ashton Pearce as a villain on national television. It was only a matter of time before the public and, more importantly, the federal government, would see her as the wronged party and undo the unjust seizure of her company. That was part of her plan an
The afternoon sunlight slowly and lazily filtered through the windows of Ashton’s penthouse as he and Thomas sat in the spacious lounge, they both held whiskey glasses in their hands. The atmosphere between the two men was heavy with unspoken tension, tension about the matter at hand. Ashton stared into his glass as he swirled the amber liquid while he tried to put his thoughts into words."I can’t believe Rebecca’s gone this far," Ashton finally said, his voice was low but was filled with frustration. "She’s not just trying to ruin me professionally anymore—she’s making it personal, dragging my name through the mud, claiming I abandoned her and some imaginary child." He said in frustration. Thomas leaned back in his chair, his eyes were fixed on Ashton, thoughtful but concerned. "It’s low, I’ll give you that," he replied. "But she’s always been ambitious and vindictive. I just didn’t think she’d sink this deep into playing the victim for the public." He said. He was so disappointed
Rebecca Knowles stepped out of her sleek black car, her sharp stilletho heels clicked on the stone pathway that led to the orphanage. This time, she was with her lawyer, Samuel Denton, and he followed closely behind he. He held in his hand while he walked confidently, a leather briefcase. The orphanage director once again met them at the entrance. Rebecca hid a smile. Her poor soul. She was obviously unaware of the cold storm that brewed beneath Rebecca's poised demeanor.She probably didn't read the news or listen to gossip. That was good thing...at least for Rebecca.“Ms. Knowles, we’re so glad to have you back,” the director greeted. “Kelvin is eager to meet you again.” she told her. Rebecca’s face softened, but only slightly. Of course it was only a mask, one she had perfected over the years. She shook the director’s hand, her eyes flicked toward the door, she was so eager to get the process over with. “Thank you, Ms. Peterson. We won’t take too much of your time today I promi
The next day arrived with somewhat of an eerie stillness, as if the city itself was actually holding its breath in anticipation. Ashton had spent most of the morning at his field going over his plants and avoiding the endless barrage of calls from journalists. He had a gut feeling that Rebecca wasn’t done with her games, but still, he hoped that Thomas' plan was still in place. ....... Rebecca Knowles was dressed impeccably. Dressed in a perfectly tailored cream-colored dress that exuded both wealth and vulnerability, she was indeed wearing an air of victimhood that suited her well for the cameras. She arrived at the TV studio with her son. The kid's resemblance to Ashton was so undeniable even to the most casual observer. Her steps were confident, her eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of having the spotlight back on her terms.As the camera crew adjusted the lighting, Rebecca smoothed out her dress and glanced at her the child, she gave him a quick smile before she turned her atte
It had already been one heck of a long day for Ashton. He had spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding the onslaught of messages, calls, and the constant buzzing of his phone as the fallout from Rebecca’s TV interview spread like wildfire. He watched it himself. He wondered how on earth he was ever in love with that woman. She was the devil herself. Every media outlet seemed to have picked up her story, and now, everywhere he looked, it was 'Ashton Pearce, the absent father'. He let out a deep sigh as he clenched his fists tightly while he paced back and forth in his office. The sun was beginning to set in the sky. If had already made long shadows to reflect through the window, and ironically it mirrored the growing feeling of unease within him. His mind raced with conflicting emotions—anger at Rebecca for going public with such lies, guilt for not having seen this coming, and, beneath it all, a nagging doubt about the child she claimed was his.Because up until that moment, he stil
Ashton walked into the faintly lit bar, the weak smell of whiskey and wood smoke continue to permeate the air. It was quite a quiet night at the upscale establishment, and he preferred it that way. Tonight wasn’t about getting lost in the noise—it was about him getting answers. The place was one of their faves, himself and Thomas'. They both would come to the bar to both while away some time or relax and on many occasions attempt to get drunk but failing inevitably because they were too responsible for such shenanigans, try as much as they could. He spotted Thomas as he was seated at a booth near the back, while he nursed a drink in his hand. Thomas raised his glass in acknowledgment as Ashton approached, his face was set in a grim line.“He man,” Thomas greeted as he slid a glass across the table to him. “You look like hell. I take it Rebecca’s interview didn’t exactly do you any favors.” he deduced immediately. Well, no shit.Ashton sank into the booth with a heavy sigh, he tiredl