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 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’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 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 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,”
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
HIS DREAM, HER NIGHTMARE Ashton tapped his feet repeatedly on the tiled floor as he sat impatiently in the CEO's office of Knowles and co. He had been sitting there for hours after receiving a message from his wife's secretary to come in and see her. The cup of coffee sitting in his hand let out its final smoke that swirled into the air till it disappeared as he looked at the wristwatch on his hand to check the time for the twelfth time.The door finally pushed open and a young lady with curly blonde hair that bounced behind her as she swayed her hips walked in. A fitted blue mini suit skirt clung onto her body and a suit shirt to match fitted her perfectly. Ashton let out a sigh as the word "finally" left his mouth. "Mr Pearce, please come over to the table." She said nonchalantly. Ashton frowned, she didn't even apologize for keeping him waiting for so long, heck she didn't even act like she acknowledged his presence. "I've been waiting here for hours, what took you so long?"
Ashton felt like his heart was being weighed down by a heavy anvil as he left the building of Knowles and co. He knew his marriage was over but he still found it hard to believe. Just like that? Had she never even loved him once? And all of those words she said to him, did she mean any of it?He always loved his wife, whatever assistant she needed, he was willing to do it for. His wife, being the one that worked, Ashton decided to be more helpful around the house. He'd make dinner before she got home from work and made sure she always had clean laundry.Never for once did he complain about living like that. In fact, he loved it! As long as his wife was by his side. He didn't even realize that someone had been calling out to him until the man tapped his shoulder. "Mr Pearce!" The man exclaimed one last time. "Huh?" Ashton woke up from his thoughts at the touch of the man. "Mr Gomez, what are you doing here?" He asked when he finally acknowledged the man. Mr Thom Gomez was the CEO o