Ashton felt like a knife had just been thrown right into his chest. She had kept quiet for so long? Why didn't she just keep quiet all the way?He thought to himself that she probably knew Myles wasn't responsible for it but didn't want to embarrass him. Rather, she would choose to embarrass Ashton since she never even cared about him and even if it was written on clear paper for what he had done, she would never give him the credit he deserved. His mouth opened to speak but she continued her speech. "Ashton, we all know you could never have achieved something like that, not even for us, so the only one lying in cold blood here is you." He scoffed a laugh. "Why do you look like what I'm saying is wrong? How could you be so persistent without even batting an eye?" She arched her brow, looking disappointedly at Ashton. "Ohhh I get it now," Myles uttered with a slight chuckle. He dipped one hand in his pocket with the hope and an attempt to look at least half as cool as Ashton did
She pushed the door open and led Ashton into the room. Several men and women sat at the long table, some exchanging words and soft laughs while others just focused on their food. The room fell silent and all eyes fell on both of them as they walked in together. "I apologize for keeping you waiting long everyone but there were vital matters that needed immediate tending to." Elizabeth apologized to the people. She opened a seat for Ashton next to her and he silently sat himself down. "Ashton, I'd like to introduce you to everyone here." She pointed at a chubby lady with short brown hair and a harsh smile. "This is Mrs Greg, the manager of the company that created the popular cereal, 'you can quake it'." The woman shot Ashton with a proud smile. Every household in the whole of Beaumont city with a young one and people who craved cereal had at least ten boxes of her creation in their home. Ashton gave her a respectful bow."This is Mr Andrews, my dad's partner is business." She poi
All eyes fell on Ashton in astonishment as he spoke with such an ascertained look on his face. Even as they all stared at him in disbelief, Ashton didn't for once stutter or look afraid and neither did as little as a bead of sweat formed on his head. "That's not all there is to it unfortunately, there are more that are even more worse than mere insomnia." Ashton added. Mr Greene scoffed. "Everyone knows I've been stressed lately due to work and keeping every drug in the perfect condition to treat people. You really think you can buy me off with that?" "If you'd let me finish. I said that's not all." Ashton said calmly. Mr Greene nudged his head forward, indicating Ashton went on with whatever crazy conspiracy was in his head. "I'm pretty sure you have noticed yourself, being a man in the medical field, that you have been having some mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue, am I right or right?" Mr Greene's eyes widened. "H-- ho
Elizabeth let out an angry sigh as the last of them exited the room. She still couldn't believe they had shown such reactions to Ashton.After a few seconds, she realizes that her arms were still wrapped around Ashton's meaning he was still in the room with her."I am so sorry, I didn't expect them to react like that, especially Mr Greene." She immediately apologized with her gaze fixed on him.Ashton flashed her a weak smile. "It's alright, I expected him to beat me up even, he was holding back.""How did you know he was going to react like that when none of us had sensed it coming? Are you psychic too?" She asked jokingly.Her words brought a slight smirk to Ashton's face. "As a man in the medical lane, he will feel really insulted by my words because of our age comparison. No matter how hard I tried to sound respectful, I was still insulting his knowledge and pride.""I see... But still he shouldn't have hit you! W
Myles moved closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rebecca, you need to see it that that Pearce kid is a very bad person! Just because you were married to him for three years doesn't mean you really know a person!"Rebecca felt uncomfortable from his touch but his words brought a sigh from her mouth."Mr Knowles," Myles moved his attention to Theron. "I promise you that I will avenge you, I will deal with that stubborn forest creature and teach him the manners he needs to learn."Theron beamed at Myles. "Mr Jameson, how can my family thank you enough? You have always been there for us, you'll be a better brother in law to me than that useless trash bag!"Myles smiled appreciatively. He asked to see Rebecca in private and she got up to follow him."We'll be outside for a moment." She said to her mother and brother before leaving the room with Myles.Myles stood a few feet away from the door and she wen
People stared in disbelief as a young woman wailed in distress for someone to save her while trying to free herself from the man's strong grip but none of them felt strong enough to go against him.Ashton turned around as he heard her voice and it was at that moment he realized what was going on. He was about to set his drugs aside and fight for her when someone else came flying in and knocking the man off his feet.Rebecca fell to the ground from the impact as well and Diana came running towards her.Ashton realized the man to be Myles and he stepped back."What happened to you Rebecca? Did he do anything bad to you? Did he hit you?" Diana questioned worriedly.Rebecca fidgeted on the ground from the fear of being dragged away while her mother questioned her. "I don't know him! He just came in and started telling me his boss would like to see me and other nonsense too!"Diana helped her daughter back to her feet and
She cleared her throat without uttering a word. She just stood there and watched Ashton place his order. It came to her that she should try to continue their conversation in a calm manner.A question would never hurt. "Who are those drugs for?" She folded her arms behind her back as she asked."Someone." He responded plainly.A sigh escaped her mouth at his reply. There was no way to avoid the problem she had just stirred other than an apology. Another sigh left her mouth before she began talking."Listen, I am so sorry for my outburst, I just didn't understand why you would do such a thing but now I get it. My brother is a big jerk for trying to hurt you and I promise you that I'll never ever let him do something like that again.""No need to apologize, I understand what it feels like to want to protect someone you love." His eyes lingered on her for a moment as the words left his mouth.She felt her whole pers
Ashton's steps came to a halt as he stood a few feet away from the car that the razz man had run to. A young man stepped out of the car with dark shades shielding his eyes from the sun. He slammed the door behind him and the razz man seemed totally composed in front of him.No translator was needed to tell Ashton that that was the boss the razz man was talking about. He was dressed in a black suit with white linings decoration on it. A red necktie peeked out of the top of his neatly buttoned shirt. His shoe was a black that shone so brightly like the car he had stepped down from. The man had Viking colored hair with brown stubble beards. His eyes were a light blue as Ashton took a proper look at him and his pink lips pouted disappointedly as he stared at the jazz man. "Rio! Where is Rebecca?" The boss questioned as he shot the razz man with a deadly scowl. "Boss, it really wasn't my fault!" Rio explained while holding on to his aching stomach. "I went in there to grab her for yo
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