A Lamborghini Urus drove to the front of the Cooper's apartment as Ashton left the front door. The car stopped in front of them and that was when he noticed that Mia had left them for a moment.
She came out of the car and opened the door.
Ashton turned around to look at Elizabeth who was standing next to him. She too had come to a stop as her eyes met with the confused look on his face.
Her lips curved into a gentle smile. "I would like to show my gratitude in full if you would allow me."
"And what exactly do you have in mind?" Ashton raised a curious brow.
"Allow Mia to drop you at your home. Where do you stay?"
Ashton felt a little ashamed to admit it but he didn't have any home in the whole of Beaumont city. With his divorce from his wife, he had nowhere to return to at the end of the day. "I don't... I don't have a place."
"Oh..." She muttered. She gave him a gentle smile. "So where were you going?"
"I was going to find a hotel nearby to stay for a while."
"Then you're just in luck." She said with a smile. "The Cooper family owns most of the best hotels in the whole of Beaumont city. I'll take you to one and provide you with the best accommodation."
Ashton gave her a smile and walked into the car. As they drove out of the gate, they saw a young man standing at the gate with the security.
Ashton squinted his eyes to get a better look and just as he had doubted, it was the son of the Jameson family that was standing there with the security guard.
He dipped his hand into the pocket of his pants and took out a few hundred dollars. "Here, tell Mr Cooper that Myles Jameson is here to see him, just tell him my name and he'll let me in immediately."
The security guard accepted the money with a wide smile on my face. "Of course, just wait a moment."
The man rushed into the building and only a few seconds later, he ran back out and allowed Myles to drive in.
Myles nodded with a smile and got back into his car and put it into the ignition.
Ashton peered into the car as the beautiful young woman at the passenger seat caught his eyes. He would have called it a striking resemblance to his wife if it was someone's else's car but having the fact that it was Myles' car, then it most definitely was her.
"Who are they?" Mia asked as she stared at them.
Elizabeth on the other hand felt no reason to care about them or why they had come visiting her father. His visitors were his and his alone. "Ignore them, having the fact that my father gave them permission to go in then they must have business. Let's go."
Mia nodded her head and started the engine. They drove out of the compound.
Meanwhile, Rebecca heaved a sigh as she relaxed into the backseat. She had lost her only shot at increasing her company's growth when Mr Gomez called off the contract but Myles had promised her a greater partnership with none other than the richest family in Beaumont city.
"Are you sure Mr Cooper will be able to help me?" Rebecca asked Myles as he got into the car.
Myles let out a soft chuckle. "This is one of the richest families in the entire city we are talking about, you don't have to worry about anything, I am here and I promise to do all I can to help you and your company. No matter what, I won't stop trying.
"Look behind you, there's a magic drink in that bottle you see lying on the chair. Mr Cooper's daughter has been I'll for a long time with no doctor being able to cure her. Giving him that will be a good start for you."
Rebecca gave him a warm smile. She really did feel comforted and grateful to Myles, he seemed to be proving himself as a great asset to her in contrast to Ashton who did nothing but destroy her only hope of greatness with Mr Gomez.
As Elizabeth's car drove past theirs, she couldn't help but to give it a second glance as the face at the back seat caught her eyes.
She couldn't hide the surprise in her eyes as she watched the car drive off and this didn't get past Myles eyes.
"Rebecca, are you okay? Is something wrong?" He questioned as he shot her with her confused glance.
She couldn't hold back a distorted chuckle. "I must be seeing things because it looked like I just saw Ashton in the backseat of that car that just drove out."
Myles broke into a hoarse laughter. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh so much." He apologized still with a wide smile on his face. "But this is the home of the Coopers, if I may remind you, the richest family in the city and not a public playground. How would your ragged ex husband be able to find his way into such a place?"
"Right?" Rebecca asked him. She let off a little tension as she relaxed into her seat. It must have been nothing more than a slight resemblance since she didn't really get a good look of the man's face after all.
★
Mia stopped in front of a luxurious looking building which from the look of it had at least two hundred floors. As they stepped out of the car, they were greeted by two golden lion statues carved beautifully at the entrance of the place.
A beautiful receptionist tended to them as Elizabeth made reservations for Ashton to stay.
She returned later and handed him a golden card. "This is the key to your apartment, I have reserved the penthouse suite for you for two years."
"Two years?" Ashton's eyes widened. "That is too much, I'm only here for a few days since that is when your father's shipment will arrive."
"I know but I want to do this as a part of my thanks for saving my life. You can come back here anytime you wish even after you move out to your own place, it can be yours even longer if you wish but you just have to tell me first." A big smile played on her face as she explained.
Ashton was beyond grateful as he accepted the card from her hand.
"That last over there is Natasha," Elizabeth said as she pointed to the lady receptionist at the counter. "She will help you with everything you might ever need, food, drinks, clothes, whatever it is you might need, just go to her."
Ashton nodded his head with a smile of gratitude on his face. He was never one to not show a sign of gratitude when needed.
She handed another card to him except this one was a black card.
"And this is for?" Ashton questioned.
"You can buy whatever you want with this card. Any expenses you have at all, you can make payments with this."
"Is this also a part of your gratitude?"
"This is just me giving a gift to my new friend which I hope you consider me as one as well." She beamed at him as she stretched out the card to him.
Ashton accepted the card in response to her question and she let out a soft giggle.
The irony caused a bitter smile to work its way up his lips. He was married to Rebecca for three good years and not even once did she give him anything, instead she and her family took from him.
Yet he had only met Elizabeth that very day and she had given him more than enough.
"You bastard!" A loud voice screamed out from behind them.
Ashton peered behind Elizabeth and saw an angry Theron approaching him. "Stay where you f*cking are! You think you can f*cking escape after ruining things for my sister?" He growled ferociously.
Ashton's words came out as calm as the breeze. "Mr Gomez only canceled his contract with your sister after knowing what kind of person she was. She just wasn't compatible enough for him anymore."
"I don't give a f*ck what you say! I'm going to beat your ass up right here and right now!" Theron yelled out angrily as he started towards Ashton.
Before he could get any closer, Elizabeth barricaded his path to Ashton, standing between the both of them. Flame burnt through her gaze as she lashed out at Theron. "Mr man! This is a respected property and you best be on your good behavior or I will have the guards throw you out immediately!"
Theron's eyes fell on Elizabeth, what a beauty she was and he pictured her lying in his bed,this imagery causing her a dirty grin to work up his face.
"Aren't you a cute little feisty one." His tone reduced to a hushed manner as he eyed her up and down.
A disgusted look played on Elizabeth's face as she heard the words from Theron's mouth. The way his eyes looked her up and down gave her an eerie feeling as he licked his lower lips.A smile curved on Theron's face as he looked down at her. Judging from the mini skirt and shirt she had on, the only job he found befitting to her was room attendant. He needed no one to tell him how difficult it must be to get a job at sky castle hotel so he figured she must have laid down her body to get the job.He took out his wallet and forced a few hundred dollars into her hands. "Your time's not now baby girl, just wait and let me finish up with that bloody bastard." Elizabeth frowned. What the hell did he take her for? She threw his money back at him as rage filled her up. "What exactly do you think you are doing? Mr Pearce is a good friend of mine and I advise you to withdraw before I ask you to be thrown out." Her tone was as cold and deadly as sharp icicles. Ashton was completely silent stil
The drive from Ashton's penthouse apartment down to the villa where old grandpa Knowles lived was a shorter distance than he had predicted it to be. Ashton got down from the taxi and paid the driver with both cash and a kind smile. As he strode down to the entrance, he was surprised to see Rebecca's mother, Diana, pacing about at the entrance. Her eyes sparked as she saw him, and she hurried to him with her high heels, calling attention as she walked towards him. The knee-length black dress she had on moved upward, revealing her thighs as she walked. The look on her face wasn't that of someone who was pleased. Ashton stood with a plain expression on his face. His clothes were as simple as they had always been; he tucked his hand into the pocket of his jacket and held his head high. "Listen to me," Diana started with a deadly scowl. "I don't know why my father wants to see you, but you better compose yourself in there. Don't go talking like a retarded fool about things you shouldn
Benjamin didn't know what to feel or how to feel. How did this ever become a reality? A divorce? Why and how?"Grandpa." Ashton's words snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked into his eyes. "I'll come visit you when I can, but for now, I have to leave." He said it with a meek smile. Ashton had gotten on one knee to speak to him but now rose to his feet. He didn't spare Rebecca as much as a glance as he strode towards the door. Mixed emotions of anger and hurt filled his body as he walked. "Where the hell do you think you are going to be good for nothing, freak?! Who gave you permission to walk away from the midst of a prestigious family and ourselves? Come back here, let me teach you some manners." Theron growled angrily as he started towards Ashton. All eyes were on Ashton as he walked out, and they didn't seem to notice when the old man sprung to his feet. He pulled Theron by his collar and gave him a resounding slap that brought gasps from his daughter and his granddaug
The pleasant smell of freshly brewed coffee caressed Mia's nostrils as she sat cross-legged on a sofa couch in Ashton's living room. Her eyes traveled across the room, taking in the explicit decor of the place, but she hadn't expected less. It was a property owned by the Coopers, so it definitely would be made to high taste. Ashton sat himself down opposite her as he placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of himself and handed another cup to her. She accepted it with a grateful smile before raising the cup to her mouth to take a sip. She felt positive energy flow down her body as the coffee slid down her throat. It was good. "I didn't know you were such a good brewer." Ashton smiled. "I'm more than just a good healer. So tell me, why have you come to see me?" She carefully dropped the cup of coffee on the table before adjusting in her seat. "I wanted to know something. You were right about what you said; my ancestors did die early, but they believed it was nothing but a cur
The alarm clock next to Ashton's bed rang vigorously at seven in the morning. The sun reflected through a slight opening in his window blind and outlined his face. He groaned as he reached out his hand to turn off the alarm clock. He didn't have any plans for the day, but he didn't mind going on a walk that morning. He sat up in bed and reached for his phone. A message displayed on the screen, and it was only then noticed that Elizabeth had left several messages and calls. "Shit," he muttered to himself. He had placed his phone on silence the night before he went to bed, but he hadn't expected Elizabeth to have called. Clicking on one of the messages, he read it in his mind. She had requested he accompany her out that morning and also mentioned she had a favor to ask of him. He immediately placed a call through, and she answered almost in an instant, like she had been waiting for his call. "Hello, good morning. My sincere apologies for missing all your calls; my phone was in sil
The men shared confused glances at each other before they chorused mocking laughter. Who the hell was he to give them such threats?Elizabeth didn't know what he was planning on doing, but if anything, she knew he couldn't take on about ten buff men all by himself! Trying to move without getting noticed, she slowly reached for her purse that had fallen from her lap and onto the ground of the car. "Who the hell do you think you are? Batman? Superman? Only a fool would stand in front of men like us and try to threaten us." The boss said,. He was obviously irritated by Ashton's confidence. His face was covered, but anyone would be able to tell from the look in his eyes. "I'm too busy to entertain clowns; just beat him up already; I'll watch." One of his men advanced towards Ashton and tried to attack with the baton in his hand, but Ashton caught it with a firm grip and punched him with his other hand. The man went flying backwards. As he landed on the floor, he felt as though the im
The evening sun set over the sky of Beaumont City, and a chilly wind blew in through the open window of Ashton's bedroom. His eyes were set on the clock, with the long hand standing over twelve and the short one over six. The event was to take place at eight that night, so he had to be at Elizabeth's home before then. A part of him felt hesitant about the whole idea—what if Mia was there? After what she told him, and now worse, it would look like he was trying to replace her. But a deal was a deal, and he wouldn't be going against his words just because of his doubts. He rose to his feet with a sigh. She had requested his presence extra early too, so he had to be on his way. ★Rebecca walked towards her large bed, dressed in a thick red robe and a white towel wrapped around her head, and sat herself down as she picked up her phone that had been vibrating. To her surprise, it was Myles, and she instantly answered it. "Hello? Sorry for not answering on time; I was in the bathroom.
Ashton let a smile work up on his face as his eyes watched her. She stood a few steps away from him, looking like a cute little doll thanks to her Barbie stature. He simply shrugged his shoulders with a cool expression on his face. "I would rather pass on the offer." "Are you kidding me? How will you protect me from crazy people then?" She said this as she dropped the shoes to the ground and placed a hand on her hip."Won't Mia be going with you?" "She's already there; you just didn't see her because she was probably in the garden with the event planner or something." Ashton didn't say anything. Even his expression remained unhindered; it was almost as if he had a calm, resting face."Oh please? For me to feel fully protected, you have to be by my side tonight. You'll drive me there and stay with me until the party is over; it's no stress anyway since you'll just go back to the penthouse apartment once everything is done." She pleaded as she walked towards the bed and sat herself
The night was thick and the wind blew incessantly as Rebecca Knowles sat alone in her dark study. Her fingers drummed anxiously and noisily against the glass table as she mulled and thought over and over about the events of the past few weeks. She had played her hand well, or so she had thought. Manipulating Ashton and blackmailing him with Kelvin was one of her best plans in her grand scheme—everything had gone exactly as she planned. She let out a laughter at the thought. Soon and no one would hear anymore about the man, Ashton Pearce. He would be long gone, and so would his legacy. She was going to make sure of it. But right now, there was this unusual feeling of unease that was beginning to creep in. Things weren’t adding up. No doubt, Ashton had been far too calm lately, and she could feel something shifting beneath the surface, something she hadn’t accounted for. She hoped that it wasn't exactly what it was that she was thinking. As far as she knew, Ashton had asked to see Ke
Ashton paced the length of his living room, the dark light of the evening made out very long shadows against the walls. His mind raced as ge struggled to process the bombshell his informant had just dropped on him. For the last few weeks, Rebecca had held the upper hand, weaponizing that kid against him, threatening to take away the one thing he had vowed to protect above all else. But now, everything had shifted. The truth, as ugly as it was, lay before him. Kelvin wasn’t even his son.He grabbed his head as he felt the migraine come down on his oh so heavily. She was sick, Rebecca. His phone buzzed on the coffee table, and without hesitation, he grabbed it, his thumb hovered frantically over Thomas Gomez's contact. Ashton’s mind flashed back to their last conversation—the one where Thomas had warned him about Rebecca’s unpredictability. He was right, more than Ashton wanted to admit.Taking a deep breath, Ashton hit the call button. It rang twice before Thomas answered.“Gomez,”
Ashton had barely left the bar when his phone rang again. This time, it wasn’t Marco or Elizabeth—it was someone unexpected. He glanced at the screen and saw the name. A cold chill washed over him as he hesitated for a moment before answering.“Pearce,” the voice on the other end growled, low and menacing. It was Gregory, one of Rebecca’s most trusted associates and a man who had never hidden his disdain for Ashton. “We need to talk. Now.”Ashton’s hand tightened around his phone. “What do you want, Gregory?” he asked. “There’s no time for games. Meet me at the old pier in thirty minutes. Don’t be late.” The line went dead before Ashton could reply.A sense of unease settled over him. What could Gregory possibly want? He had never approached Ashton directly before, and the suddenness of the call reeked of desperation. Ashton wasn’t a fool—he knew he was walking into something dangerous. But if Gregory had information or was willing to talk, it was worth the risk.He texted Elizabeth
Ashton’s thoughts raced as he walked alongside Elizabeth, their footsteps echoed down the dimly lit streets. The weight of Rebecca’s threats still hung heavily in the air, but Elizabeth’s revelation about the mysterious meeting had lit a fire within him. He needed answers—and fast. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and when he saw the name on the screen, a flicker of hope stirred within him.It was his contact, the spy he had placed to gather intel on Rebecca."Ashton," the voice on the other end was low, cautious. "I’ve got something big. Meet me at the usual spot in an hour. You need to hear this in person." He said to him. Ashton nodded, though the man couldn’t see him. "I’ll be there." He said. Elizabeth looked at him questioningly, and Ashton explained, “It’s my guy. He has something—something important. This might be the break we need.” he said to her. Elizabeth nodded, her expression unreadable but supportive. "I’ll come with you." She said. They headed to the meeting plac
Ashton stood under the shower, the steam enveloped him like a shroud. The water cascaded down his body and it washed away the remnants of the earlier confrontation with Rebecca, but he knew the bitterness of her words lingered in his mind like a stain that wouldn't come out. He could hear her mocking laughter echoing in the recesses of his thoughts, taunting him with the possibility of losing everything he held dear, including his son and his job.His phone buzzed incessantly on the counter, jolting him from his thoughts. Elizabeth's name flashed on the screen, and he immediately felt a feeling of urgency mixed with dread. He had kept her in the dark about the fallout with Rebecca, not wanting to drag her into the chaos. But as he turned off the water and toweled himself off, he knew he couldn't hide from her forever.After pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, he picked up the phone and answered. “Hey, Liz." He said. “Ashton,” Elizabeth’s voice came through, steady a
Ashton leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking beneath him as he stared at the glowing screen of his phone. The fury that had once consumed him now simmered beneath a surface of determination. Rebecca had made her move, but he was ready to play the game on his own terms. He had to find a way to outsmart her—find a way to reclaim not just his son, but his entire life.He opened his contact list, scrolling through names until he landed on the one that stood out. A name he hadn’t thought he’d have to rely on again: Myles Jameson. They hadn’t spoken since their falling out over the rumors, but desperate times called for desperate measures.With a deep breath, he dialed Myles’ number, his heart racing as the line rang. He had no idea how Myles would react after everything that had happened, but he couldn’t let fear hold him back.The call connected, and after a few rings, Myles’ voice broke through. “Ashton? Is that you?” Myles asked. “Yeah, it’s me,” Ashton replied, trying to kee
Ashton Pearce paced back and forth in his apartment, his phone was clutched tightly in his hand as he paced. The walls felt like they were closing in on him, like they were going to suffocate him as the weight of his situation bore down on him. His career, his reputation—everything he had worked so hard for—was now on the line, and he knew exactly who was behind it. Rebecca.Why was she being this way ?Why did she had to be so cruel and evil to him?The sound of his phone dialing Rebecca’s number sent a jolt of fury through him. He'd had enough of her games. After about three rings, the line finally clicked open and her cool, composed voice greeted him.“Ashton,” Rebecca said, her tone was smooth. It was laced with a venomous sweetness that made his blood boil. “What a surprise.” She purred into the phone. “Cut the crap, Rebecca,” Ashton snapped at her, he was unable to keep the anger from his voice. “I want to see my son. Where’s Kelvin?” he demanded. Since she claimed he was h
Rebecca’s mind still buzzed endlessly with how intense and the discussions of her meeting she had with Miguel as the car cruised through the darkened city streets. She glanced out of the window, and watched the blurred lights as they passed, but her thoughts has already spinned ahead, she anticipated her next move. Miguel was a snake, she knew that much, but for now, he was her snake—one she could use to finally dismantle the Cooper empire alongside Ashton Pearce and claim her victory.But as much as she felt in control, there was a gnawing voice in the back of her mind. Was she truly prepared for what working with Miguel would entail? She knew that she wasn’t naive. Miguel played by his own rules, and while he may have agreed to their alliance, she knew trust was a fragile thing in their world. Still, the adrenaline that coarsed through her vein was undeniable. The rush of power, the thrill of knowing she was about to topple giants—it was almost addictive. Myles wouldn’t underst
Rebecca stepped out of the sleek black car, the hum of the city faded as she stood before the entrance to Miguel’s exclusive club, the same one she had been to with Myles but tonight, let's just say she was doing things in her own terms and by that, going with Myles was too much crowd. The neon lights flickered above the doorway, it illuminated an eerie glow on the street. Tonight was different—tonight, she had come alone.Myles had no idea about her plan, and she oh so discreetly intended to keep it that way. This was her decision, her strategy to forge a new alliance and take control of the situation. Myles could be too cautious, too predictable. But Rebecca knew that if they were going to bring down the Coopers, they needed someone ruthless, someone like Miguel.Not that she hadn't slandered him behind his back, but he mustn't know about that. She was dressed to kill, she wore a dark emerald dress that hugged her frame, it exuded power and confidence. Her heels clicked against the