If there is one thing Ashley craves more than anything else in the world, it is the feeling of her fingers against her keyboard while she is coding or hacking into different servers.
She couldn’t help but smirk in satisfaction as she sat in the café hacking into the ZEDD Ltd. server. “They could really use someone like me to help secure their server; it was too easy for me to crack,” she thought to herself, but she knew that it was all wishful thinking.
She knows that her father would never allow her to work for someone. He is too proud of that and believes that Ashley should stay at home until he finds the right man to marry her off to.
She took the coffee mug and brought it closer to her lip as she sipped the coffee inside the jug.
The hotness hit her tongue, which sent thrills down her body. Ashley dropped the mug back on the table and resumed what she was doing.
Ashley knows what she's doing is technically wrong, but she doesn't care as long as she's not harming anyone. Unlike other hackers, she hacks into servers to help several companies and the government solve problems they didn’t even realize they had.
Ashley derives pleasure from seeing them so clueless about what is going on around them, and hacking also keeps her busy with her dark thoughts.
She has only ever been caught once after she broke into the CIA system. A week later, she was offered a job, which she couldn’t turn down because it was either that or she went to federal prison.
Just like that, she became a faceless hacker for the CIA, whom they call whenever they need her help. She couldn’t tell anyone, of course, not like she has anyone to tell, but then, who would believe that Ashley Valencia, the elder daughter of business mogul Richard Valencia and fashion designer Gwen Valencia, works for the CIA?
In her family, there's nothing like love because it's considered a weakness, and happiness is just like an illusion that can be bought with money, and money after money.
She has always felt like she was invisible. No one pays attention to her, and if attention comes, it's always from her younger siblings who never liked her or her parents tearing her down.
She feels like she is just someone that they had to deal with, as she is not truly a Valencia but an orphan that was adopted when she was 3.
Richard and Gwen didn’t really want a child, but Ashley begged Gwen and Richard Valencia to take her, and they did. They wouldn’t stop telling her that story, so she has always felt indebted to them.
So now, her younger siblings see her as a threat, and because of this, Ashley knew that she couldn't do anything that would make her siblings feel like she was trying to take their birthright from them.
Ashley never expects love from her family, so she dares not complain because it will make her look ingrate.
She was always alone, but at home and in school, but she was lucky to be able to find something that makes her feel less alone, which is coding and hacking. She has hacked into her parent's company server multiple times, and she has saved the company from external and internal attacks without their knowledge.
None of her family knew she was a hacker, and she liked it that way. She doesn’t even think her father knew that she studied computer engineering in college.
Life has always been lonely and quiet, and she preferred it that way. She's now used to it.
If attention comes to her and it doesn't come from her younger siblings, it will definitely come from her parents, who will need her to make a public appearance at an event or symposium.
“Do you require a refill?" Blair, a waitress at the cafe, asked her, smiling at her, and she nodded in response. She didn’t even realize that her cup was empty, as she was so engrossed with what she was doing.
She heard someone open the café door and looked up to see Liam Abbot with a man beside him.
Ashley has seen the man and Liam in the news multiple times. He's Liam's friend and lawyer, Isaac Stone. The two of them, together with Liam’s other friend Blake Spencer, have been taking the business world by storm lately, and they are called the “deadly and handsome trio.”
“Oh my God, did they find out that I have been snooping around their companies' servers? Are they here to sue me?” Ashley thought to herself, panicking.
She quickly closed her laptop without shutting it as she packed it inside her back bag with the laptop charger.
She hurriedly zipped the bag and carried her phone, which was charged as she ran out.
On her way outside, she bumped into Liam, and the coffee she held poured on her, ruining the sky-blue shirt she wore, and it poured on him too.
“Sorry,” Ashley mumbled, and she rushed out without waiting for his reaction.
“Weirdo, how could she spill coffee and rush out just like that with a bad apology?” Liam's friend stated, and Liam just glanced at the entrance door to see her entering a cab, which drove away immediately.
He only saw the weird lady for a few seconds, and for some reason he felt drawn to her.
“I really need a strong coffee,” he thought to himself, shaking his head as he walked towards the cashier to place his orders.
“What a safe escape, but I ended up ruining my dress,” Ashley lamented silently to herself.
“Ma'am, your address?”
Ashley called out her home address to the cab driver, who took note of it on the GPS.
She tried to clean the stain off her shirt, but it got worse instead.
“Jeez, it can't be removed,” she mumbled.
Soon, the cab alighted in front of a huge black gate, and Ashley hopped out of the vehicle.
She could tell the driver was wondering why she didn’t drive herself if she was living in such a giant house, but she has always feared cars ever since what happened to her nine years ago.
She paid the cab driver, then went inside the mansion. She entered the main mansion, and everywhere was silent.
Ashley was not surprised, since her parents and younger siblings are always busy. She went upstairs, heading to her room.
She got in, locking the door behind her.
She threw her bag on the bed and took off her shirt. She threw it inside the laundry basket, then went inside the washroom.
Minutes later, Ashley came out looking fresh. She took her bath. Ashley walked towards her closet and brought out baggy sweatpants with an oversized shirt.
She wore it and brought her laptop with her as she charged it, and she always charged her phone.
Ashley turned on the TV to binge-watch the Lucifer series again since she was bored, and she would rather not hack servers; she's not in the mood to do it.
She watched the movie to distract herself from the lonely world and the loneliness she was feeling.
Ashley heard a knock on the door, and she went to open it, sticking her head out, and saw a maid.
“Ma'am, do you need anything?”
“No, I'm fine,” Ashley replied, slowly shutting the door.
She went to sit on the hairy rug and resumed watching the movie series. Slowly, Ashley found herself dozing off, successfully distracting herself from loneliness.
The sound of her phone ringing woke Ashley up as she rolled on the floor until her back hit the edge of the center table, and she felt a sharp pain. Immediately, her eyes opened, and she groaned loudly. “Gawd, my back,” She groaned and stood up. Her room was exactly the way she left it yesterday, which means she slept for a long time. Ashley walked towards her phone, which was ringing. She unplugged it as she picked up the call. She placed the phone on her ear. “Good morning,” Ashley mumbled out, and she glanced at her phone screen to check the caller ID. It was Kim, her mom's personal assistant. “Morning, Ms. Ashley Valencia,” “Did my mom ask you to deliver a message to me?” Ashley asked, biting her lower lip. She sat on the bed, stroking her thigh gently. This is something she always does when she is nervous. “Mrs. Valencia wants to attend a charity gala. It's tonight, and the whole family will be there, so she wants you to be there.” “Time of the event and location?” Ashley
“Excuse me, you dropped something” she heard Geoffrey say, and she almost jumped in victory that he fell for her tricks, but she knew that she had to comport herself. “Oh my, thank you so much, I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost that” she said, sounding sickly sweet. Ashley could see the creep staring at her legs as if he wanted to eat her, and she knew that she had him where she wanted him. “So, what is a beautiful lady like you doing here?” he asked, giving Ashley a very suggestive and creepy smile. “Well, I am on vacation here in New York and I just came back from sightseeing” “Well, do you need a tour guard to show you around the city? You would have a good time” he asked and Ashley almost grimaced in response. She couldn’t help but wonder how many girls he had picked up like this. According to what Jacob sent to her, he was a disgusting sexual predator and gang leader that they had been trying so hard to catch. “Say what, I am exhausted right now, but I will g
The next day, Ashley woke up as she took her phone. She went through it as a notification came in.Ashley saw the news about her. Immediately she sprang up from the bed, and switched on the TV, and the news about her appeared on the screen.VALENCIA'S ELDEST DAUGHTER IS DATING THE MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR IN US, LIAM ABBOTVALENCIA ADMIT THEIR DAUGHTER HAD BEEN IN A SECRET RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM FOR A YEAR, AND SHE'S ENGAGED TO HIM WITH A PLAN TO GET MARRIEDAshley could not believe the news, as her phone started ringing. She picked her phone from the bed, and checked the caller ID.It's Chris, The team leader of the PR team in her parent's company. Ashley is not surprised by his call because she knows how much her father hates scandal and unnecessary attention that won't fetch him any benefits.So he's calling because of the news.“Chris, I swear I don't know how the news broke. Truthfully, I had a dance with him which lasted for just thirty minutes before I ended the dance” Ashley spok
Liam, and Blake walked down the hallway as they heard towards the meeting room, Blake’s personal assistant behind them.The meeting room was filled with employees that were presenting today. He had announced a competition among the employees.The competition was about coming up with a proposal for one of their clients, and whoever came up with the best idea will be promoted.Everyone jumped on the idea and the day was finally here. ZEDD tech ltd is one of the most employee friendly technology companies in the world, and it is the dream of almost every technology student to work there because they are always provided the opportunity to learn and grow.Business has not been good lately for Liam as they had lost 3 deals consecutively, so he knew that they had to get this next deal no matter what.Despite this, though, Liam still couldn’t get the girl he danced with last night out of his head.“Focus man, the future of your company relies on this” he told himself.He listened to his emplo
“Are you sure you want to do this, man?” Isaac asked, staring at Liam with doubtful eyes.Liam and Isaac have been friends for the past 3 years, and Liam has always found a way to surprise him in everything he does.“I know that I am probably the last person you want to hear this from, especially because of how my marriage ended, but marriage is meant to be sacred and taken seriously.” He continued.“I have no choice, man; you know how important this deal with Mr. Ross is to me. Besides, she started the whole mess by creating the scandal, and I am sure that she would be more than glad to become my fake wife.” Liam said he was trying to convince Isaac.Isaac looked at Liam, his best friend since childhood, with a mix of concern and skepticism. He understood the importance of the deal with Mr. Ross, but he couldn't help but worry about Liam's emotional well-being. "I get that this deal is crucial for your career, but are you sure entering into a fake marriage is the right solution? I kn
Ashley is kind of torn about what to do at the moment. Her parents had never asked her to do anything for them; in fact, they have always ignored her and only acknowledged her when they were in public.Ashley's conflicting emotions were pulling her in different directions. On one hand, she felt a sense of duty towards her parents, wanting to prove herself and gain their approval. On the other hand, she couldn't ignore the deep-rooted resentment that had built up over the years due to their neglect.Being the adopted and eldest child of the Valencia family, she had no expectations from her parents, but she burdened herself with trying to be up to their standards.She always tried to be the best at everything. Be kind to others, be prudent, and have good grades. Nothing she did ever made her parents notice her, but she never gave up.That was probably the reason why she danced with Liam that night. She knew her parents liked the idea that
"Hello, is this Ashley Valencia?" Liam asked immediately, and she picked up the call. Of course, he knew that it was her he was calling. He had done a thorough background check on her and was able to get her number through his private investigator. Ashley's mind raced, wondering what Liam could possibly want from her. She tried to maintain her composure and replied, "Yes, this is Ashley Valencia. How can I help you, Mr. Abbot?" Liam was surprised that she knew that it was him calling, but he hid it. He couldn't help but become more wary of her. "What else does she know, and what is she planning with her father?" He thought to himself, but decided to compose himself and go straight to the reason why he called her. "Well, I was wondering if you could stop my office later today to discuss this predicament that we have both found ourselves in," he said, and Ashley could feel her heart jump. "Uhmm, alright, I will be there in an hour or two," she responded without thinking twice. Liam
Ashley couldn't help but feel offended when she went through the contract and saw that Liam had offered to pay her a total of thirty million dollars if she agreed to the contract. She was okay with clauses like they should stay out of each other's personal lives and that they can date someone else but have to be discreet so as to avoid a scandal. What made her not okay was the fact that Liam thought he could buy her with his money. "I am okay with everything here except for the compensation aspect," she said with a frown on her face. "I am not surprised; how much do you want me to add to it?" Liam said bitterly, but Ashley just ignored him. Liam and Isaac were both surprised when she took a pen from her bag and crossed the part out. "I do not need your money," she said. "So, you are telling me that you would just marry me without getting anything out of it?" Liam asked. "Believe what you want, Mr. Abbot, but not everyone is out to get your money, and I surely am not. Besides, I