’I never liked you as a woman.’ As I stood by the lake with a bottle of wine in my hand, his words kept echoing in my head. ’The one I adore and love is Jane,’

I was fooled by the person I thought to be my life’s love. Everything shattered when he told me that he never loved me. All those sweet moments they had shared turned out to be a complete lie.

Ashley Brown, the brilliant and attractive daughter of multimillionaire businessman Richard Brown, was also a well-known model. She disagreed with joining her father’s business as she had the dreams she wanted to pursue.

Being the pampered child, Richard never objected to her decision and let her live her own life with her terms and conditions until one day, she was caught in a rumor that she walked with a man hand in hand, making the news spark. The man was none other than Greg McAdam.

Richard never liked the guy because he knew that Greg, the boy, was only interested in her because of the status she held. He tried to make her understand, but his love blinded her, and she argued with him.

Now that reality had hit her square in the face, she saw that everything her father had said had been accurate.

"How stupid of you to believe that bastard loved you," she said in a heavy, pained voice as she threw the full wine bottle into the lake.

Her bloodshot eyes looked at the calm water, letting her tears roll down. She was going to surprise him, but all she got in return was the biggest shock of her life.

Greg McAdam, her longtime boyfriend and model, cheated on her with Jane Willows, a close friend. How can she never notice the closeness they shared in the name of friendship?

"Stupid," her slurry voice cursed herself, and she turned to leave from there.

Today was the most historic moment of her life; her boyfriend cheated on her. She felt ridiculous but kept herself intact, not letting herself break down.

She won’t shed a tear for a cheater like him who made fun of the love they shared. No, she would never make the same mistake by trusting someone who would keep her as an option.

Getting inside the car, she drove it to the nearest nightclub in the town and stopped in front of it. Being a VIP entry, she had the easiest access to the club despite it being a busy weekend.

Tonight, she wanted to let her guard down and feel comfortable in her own skin. She refused to bear the burden of the false love that had cut a savage hole in her heart.

Gulping down three shots of vodka, Ashley walked toward the dance floor and began showing her moves.

Her hips swayed at the beat of the loud music as she forgot the world around her and let suck in the moment of releasing the pain. She desired to relax and indulge in the drinks. She had already done half of their work while she did the rest.

Not too far from her seated, a man with these sharp blue eyes looked in her direction as she kept moving to the beat of the rhythm. Getting up from his seat, he walked toward her and pulled her out of the crowd.

Startled by the sudden jerk, Ashley finally opened her eyes and looked at the person in front of her. She could not even make out the person’s face because she was so drunk, but all of a sudden she heard him say, "Stop it."

Upon hearing his warning, Ashley laughed and gave off a foolish smile, acting as though everything around her was a hallucination.

Blinking her eyes, she finally looked at the man whose sharp eyes pierced her; all she could do was stare at him.

He happened to be the most handsome and charming man she had come across in the club, which made her recall her bastard boyfriend, who was also handsome but not like the one who stood in front of her.

"Who is he?" she wondered as she struggled to concentrate her vision.

Just the recall of Greg’s face made her lose her cool. She wanted to show him that his betrayal didn’t affect her at all, and in the heat of the moment, she dragged the man’s collar and sealed his lips.

She wasn’t going to let anyone make fun of her. Ashley Brown, the unstoppable beauty in the modeling industry, would show that she is not easily duped in the name of false love.

The two bodies wrapped around each other. One moaned out loud while the other kept worshipping it.

They were unable to control their desire and spent the entire evening together, drawing each other deeper and deeper into a puddle of lust.

***

Inside the hotel’s opulent suite, two people lay entwined in each other’s arms as the morning sun shone.

The light fell on the girl’s eyes as she fluttered, opening them and adjusting her vision.

Ashley tried to guess the place she was in right now and was about to get up when she felt a cold hand around her waist that stopped her from getting up.

Her eyes only slightly turned to reveal the face of the man sleeping next to her before her body froze.

The memories of last night rushed through her mind like a hurricane, and she shut her eyes, knowing what she had ended up doing.

She composed herself slowly and attempted to break free from the powerful arm, but before she could act, the horse’s voice near her ear said, "Do not move," and her body froze.

Ashley was too ashamed to look him in the eye, so she dared not turn to look. She remembers how she pounced on him and took advantage of his helping hand.

The man next to her saw her froze in his arm and knew she recalled everything that had ever happened to them.

His mouth slightly pursed as he observed the side profile he proceeded to kiss until his heart was satisfied.

The man took his hand off her waist and looked at her for a long time before saying, "Move."

Ashley finally moved to turn her head to look at the man next to her after hearing his sharp voice.

She felt her breath hitch the moment her eyes fell on the devilishly handsome face; all she could see was the man next to her.

His perfectly sharp features, especially his deep blue eyes, made him look no less than a runway model.

She had seen handsome men in the modeling world for more than five years, but the one next to her was more than beautiful.

She didn’t realize that she was shamelessly gawking at him until she heard him say, "If you are done drooling, will you get up from me? You weigh too much."

When she was almost asleep, Ashley furrowed her brows at the sound of his voice and the sight of him pointing down on his arms.

Shuddering, she moved back and sat up on the bed. She was fortunate to have a white sheet covering her body, which prevented her from becoming even more ashamed.

She heard the man chuckle, and that made her frown.

Not even her coworkers had ever dared to make fun of her. Everyone was aware of her extreme temper since she disliked it when people made fun of her. Everyone was scared of her, and she liked it that way.

She turned around and got off the bed, trying to steady herself while sensing the pain. Her entire body was in pain. This man was the cause; last night, he was an unstoppable beast.

Even though she wanted to scold him, she couldn’t because she was the one who forced herself on him.

Picking her clothes from the ground, she walked in to get change and came out. Her eyes looked at her purse, and when she found it, she pulled out a sum of money and kept it on the side table.

"Here, take this for entertaining me." Her entire demeanor changed, and she did look like she was shy as before.

Upon seeing her paying him for their night together, the man on the bed arched his brows and burst out laughing.

"Do you think this much would be enough for all the scratches I got from you last night?" He made fun of her by pointing out the nail marks on her arms and back.

Ashley wanted to vent her anger but controlled herself as she was at fault. Withdrawing additional cash, she added it to the earlier one and asked, "Her, is this enough for the medical expense of your scar?"

The man was impressed by her feisty persona, and he climbed down the bed, making his way toward her.

He looked into her black eyes with his blue ones and knew that she was that tigress—very different from the women he would see the night before. Her fierce character was overshadowed by the drink last night, but she was back to being that yesterday.

"Maybe I could give you something in exchange for spending the night with me?" Ashley became enraged at his words.

What does this man take her as a whore who spends time with every man?

"Watch your mouth, Mr. Are you aware of who you are speaking with?" Ashley clenched her teeth, finding it difficult to accept the remarks he made about her.

The man let out a chuckle that pissed Ashley even more. No one dared laugh at her, but this man had done it twice.

"I don’t care who you are because it doesn’t concern me. Ashley’s jaw dropped at his words, and she felt the ground give way beneath her feet. "All that matters now is how are you going to take responsibility for taking advantage of me," he said.

"Was he serious?" she asked herself, staring at him like a naive fool who had just felt icy water on her face.

Ashley looked at the man asking her to take responsibility for whatever happened between them.

"Who does this nowadays" she voiced her thoughts and watched him step closer to her until there wasn’t any space for air to pass between them.

Scrooching down a little, he looked into her eyes that questioned him. He could tell the girl was still stupid even after so many years had passed.

"I do, and since you are the one who forces yourself on me, I want you to compensate by taking responsibility" she heard the seriousness in his voice, and to her unknown, she gulped down hard as she closed her mouth.

Why was this man so dominating, she thought, looking at how easily he asked her to clear her mistake.

The man stared at her for a while and pulled back, looking at her," I will give you one whole day to think. It would be better if you agree, or else I will reach your home asking for your hand" Ashley felt her heart thud against her chest when he declared openly how he was determined to be the result in his favor.

Like a sculpted figure, Ashley stood rooted in the same place as her eyes watched the man turn and walk towards the cushioned chair. Picking up his wallet from there, he pulled out a card and turned to backhand it to her.

"Here is my card, and let me tell you, miss, I don’t like waiting, so better answer even before the deadline" his serious deadpan eyes were giving her chills because the man looked so fixated.

With and hush, she took the card and rushed out of the room like a scared kitten. She knew it was supposed to stand there. Even for a minute, she would end up dying of a stroke.

Taking a long stroke, she called her manager and entered the elevator. The ring went great when she heard a sleepy voice," Who’s this?" the girl on the other end spoke.

"Miley, I am sending you the location. Just hurry up and come here to pick me" Ashley’s voice woke the sleepy creature, and she pulled back the phone to see the name on the screen.

Slapping her head, she brought the phone and answered," Yes, ma’am" her words left, and the call ended.

Like a rocket, the manager rushed on her madam’s order and soon reached the location she was asked to come.

The car stopped in front of the enormous hotel, which was the most expensive place in the town. Peeking through the guarded window glass, she found a lady standing at the entrance with her face covered with a scarf.

Without any doubt, she knew who the person was and broom the car stopping right in front of her.

Ashley hurriedly opened the door and stepped inside the car.

The atmosphere inside the car had suddenly turned dense and Miley, the one driving, felt her boss’s aura change now and then. When she was finally getting used to her strange behavior, she heard her say," Clear every article that stated my relation with Greg. I don’t want my name to be associated with that asshole" her words were as cold as ice and with the way she said it told that she was dead serious.

Miley nodded and drove to the apartment where Ashley stayed after moving out of her father’s luxurious mansion. She was the sole heir of Melanin Internationals, but unfortunately, she did not like business.

The car stopped in front of the residential building, which was twenty floors tall and was the only place Ashley had purchased on her earnings.

Walking out of the car, both the ladies entered the elevator and reached the top floor of the building, which Ashley entirely owned.

Ashley had been very skeptical when it came to her liking. She had personally asked the interior designer to construct a room that had the way straight from the living room.

Miley unlocked the door and stepped back, letting Ashley enter first, and then she followed her.

After the wild night, Ashley had been feeling sore in every corner of her body. Even if she wanted to ignore it, she could because the man didn’t stop even when she begged him to stop.

"Scoundrel," she cursed that man. Miley looked at her.

Laying on the couch in her living space Ashley closed her eyes and let the peace engulf her mind when something struck her.

She got up and reached her hand towards her purse, pulling out a card she stuffed in a hurry as she wanted to get free from that space.

Turning the card front and back, she read the name on it,’ Tristen Knight’ her mutter was loud enough to be heard by the nosy manager who was gawking at her from the time she entered.

’Why does it feel there is something fishy’ Miley thought, looking at Ashley when her eyes popped out like a spring ball from her socket," Hickey.." she squealed that catching Ashley’s attention and covering her mouth at her blunder.

Ashley frowned when she looked where Miley’s eyes were stuck. Leaving the card on the table, she stood up from the couch and walked toward the bathroom.

When she reached to look in the mirror, his eyes popped out in shock.

"H-hickey" she screamed, looking at the red mark on her neck that was visible for anyone to notice.

She then pulled down the collar of her dress a little, only to find various marks on her collarbone and cleavage.

Watching how badly that man assaulted her skin, her blood boiled in anger, and she slammed her hand on the marble sink.

"You asshole.. how dare you not even leave a single space untouched" gritting her teeth, she shut the bathroom door with a thud and turned on the tap filling the bathtub with some warm water.

While inside the bathroom, Ashley was busy cursing the anonymous man outside. Miley was wondering about the hickey she had seen on Ashley’s neck.

*****

Melanin Internationals

A black SUV stopped at the entrance of the vast building, and a man stepped out, followed by his assistant, who trailed behind him as they entered the premises.

The duo entered the private lift to the last floor, where the main office was built.

Tristen walked along with his assistant Karl and entered the cabin.

Karl had been with Tristen when he took over the company after his father’s retirement. Being the most loyal and devoted person, Tristen never doubted Karl’s intentions because he had immense faith in the man.

"Have you checked the companies we have to block from working with us?" Tristen asked as he went through the tab looking at the business-related news, and a smile curled on his lips.

"It seems I will have to prepare for an interview this year," Tristen said, passing the tab back to Karl.

On the other hand, Karl seemed surprised by the smile lingering on his boss’s face and smiled, taking back the tab.

Tristen was in his mid-twenties and one of country S’s most influential business people. His family was counted in the top five millionaires, but that didn’t affect him. They never considered living a life of the elite because they preferred simplicity.

He’s six feet tall body walked towards the window as he looked out with his deep blue eyes roamed at the view in front of him.

Karl, who found his boss happy, couldn’t stop himself from asking," Boss seems to be happy today. Is there a specific reason or a person.. for that smile"

His words made Tristen turn back his head, and the slight smile widened even more, "You are good at guessing, Karl."

Tristen’s words made Karl understand, and he didn’t ask further before he walked out of his cabin.

Tristen stood by the window frame while waiting for the woman to call him. He knew the time he had given her was significantly less, but the warning she received would make her act fast.

"Ashley Brown, now that I found you, there is no way for you to walk out" Tristen’s eyes sparkled at the mention of her name, and with determination, he turned back and started his day.

Hyatt Residency

Inside the bathtub filled with warm water, Ashley rested her head on the wedge as she closed her eyes and let her body relax.

She was still feeling the pain between her legs as the action turned out to be wilder than her imagination.

Ashley’s mind slowly drifted to the moment she was under that strong body that held her tenderly as she moaned, feeling his hot shaft inside her.

The movement was painful at first, but slowly it gave her tremendous pleasure, and she didn’t realize it when she started to demand more.

Her hand subconsciously moved between her leg as if she was still feeling his touch when that man’s face flashed in front of her eyes.

Snapping her eyes open, she said," Tristen Knight!!!"

Composing herself, she breathed heavily, just thinking about the name she read on the card, and her mind froze when she recalled where she had heard the word.

"No way .. don’t tell me he is the same Tristen Knight whom no one has ever seen." as reality struck, she stood up and hopped out from the bathtub wrapping a towel around her body, and walked out hurry.

"Miley, where is my phone..." she screamed, scaring the poor manager who was waiting for her patiently.

Alerted by her boss’s urgency, she immediately acted on her words and gave her the cellphone.

Ashley scrolls down, searching for the name Tristen Knight, hoping she can find a single image of the man that would confirm her doubts. But unfortunately, there wasn’t any image of him on the search engine.

Slamming down on the couch in failure, she felt like crying. She was severely trapped if the man was the same she was guessing him to be.

There had been a rumor about the handsome businessman Tristen Knight which implied that the man was very stubborn when he set his mind on something. Whether it’s a deal or purchasing land, he would get it by hook or crook if he tends to lay his eyes on it.

Ashley felt her heart beat faster as she recalled his words...

"Miley, is it possible to get back save out from a lion’s den" her words confused the girl, who had no clue why her boss was acting weird all of a sudden?

First, she picked her up from a hotel, then she found a hickey, and now this question. Was she trying to make fun of her weak IQ? No, right then, why was she strange today?

Her worried eyes looked at her, making Miley gulp before she spoke," Unless the lion is sleeping, there are chances of getting out" her words made her cry even more internally.

’How was she supposed to get out if the lion was sleeping next to her? Just one realization made Ashley curse herself for acting all bold and brave to enter the lion’s den when she knew the chances to walk out were null.

She then remembered his words like a warning and felt even more miserable. In both ways, he was trying to make her accept him willingly or by declaring it.

Before she could make a decision, she was suddenly pulled out of her trance when Miley’s phone rang loudly.

Her dazed eyes watched her manager walk away. Nothing she would change because the deeds were already done, and now the lion was waiting for her answer.

She looked at the card and read it thoroughly. Tristen had given her 24 hours, and four hours had already passed. Her being the fierce one, was getting chill just by the thought that he would come and expose her weak moment to everyone.

She wasn’t scared by the scandal or rumors because she was prone to come across random words in the modeling field, but what if her father came to learn about her heartbreak?

’Do you think he still has found out her subconscious mind spoke?

She was yet to tell him about her breakup with Greg, but what if before he received that news, he would receive the news of her sleeping with the man she had just stumbled upon in the club?

Ashley was already grieving because she didn’t listen to her father’s warning about Greg and went against him, but now she regretted every action that hurt her father.

Calming her nerves down, she looked at the card in her hand and decided to talk to the man and reject everything he had asked her to do.

She was drunk and was not in her sense to even take responsibility for something done under alcohol.

According to her, whatever happened between them was counted as drunk sex, so it doesn’t even make sense to her. Though she lost her virginity to a stranger, she didn’t want to dwell upon it. What was gone was gone, and she couldn’t change it.

With a clear decision, she dialed the number on the card and made a call. The bell rang twice before the call was picked up when she heard," That was quick."

Tristen smiled as he talked to her. He had thought the women would never call him, but he was wrong.

Ashley, on the other hand, scoffed at his comment. If it weren’t to clear her mistake, she wouldn’t have spared a glance at him.

"Let’s meet. Decide the place and notify me" Ashley’s cold words made the man raise his brows, but before he could say a word, the call ended, making him chuckle.

"Feisty women," he said and informed Karl to cancel his meeting that was lined up in the afternoon.

****

As Ashley cleared every article about her relationship with Greg, the news about their breakup started to surface. She had already guessed about it, so instead of getting nervous, she let the news spread.

Sitting inside her room, she listened through her schedule, which Miley recited. She had back-to-back three photoshoots for the most popular clothing brand.

Being on the top for five straight years had made Ashley the most renowned face of the modeling world. Every brand wanted to take her as their brand ambassador because just her name was enough to hike their market value.

She kept listening to Miley while she scrolled down the comment, which had the exact words[ Did Ashley and Greg break up..]

[Oh, my lovely couple, please don’t end such a beautiful relationship]

[ Hope she finds a better man than him]

[ Why do they have to break up]

Many comments popped on her social media account, which said they were not to end their relationship, but no one knew what happened behind the curtains.

As she kept reading more, suddenly, a notification popped on her phone, and she opened it.

Getting from her seat suddenly, she looked at Miley," Clear my schedule for today and make sure not to disturb me for an hour or two. Ask the driver to bring the car. I have a place to visit," she fired order after order which made Miley shut her mouth and act immediately.

She knew Ashley’s mood kept changing every ten minutes, and after all these years, she had gotten us to it.

Miley had briefly guessed what had happened between Greg and Ashley after she asked her to bring down the article related to them. She knew the man Greg was not a devoted person as Ashley took him to be, but no one could make Ashley understand it.

Never too late to realize, but she was happy that Ashley finally ended up connecting with Greg. She had miles to go, and she knew Ashley, a strong woman, wouldn’t dwell on a man who was just a pass by.

Soon her car stopped at the end location, and Ashely walked out wearing a mask. Being in the limelight wasn’t easy because photographers would already be present everywhere she went to snap her.

She headed inside a lavishing restaurant where Tristen’s assistant had been already waiting to take Ashley to arrive.

As soon as he saw her, he walked towards her and introduced himself," Hello Miss Brown, I am Karl, Mr. Knight’s assistant. From here, I will escort you" his polite word made Ashley believe him. She silently followed him to the private room where Tristen was already waiting for her.

"This way, ma’am," Karl said, showing the door to the room and taking a step back.

Ashley removed her mask and opened the door entering in. Her eyes caught the sight of the man who had this dangerous yet comforting aura.

She didn’t want to accept, but her first time with him made her feel secure. She remembered how carefully he held her closer to him when she cried her heart out.

’I loved him was all she did while she cried in his arm before passing out...