"Mr. Johnson, we're in the office–" Ethan takes another step towards me, making me step backwards; although we both know it's fruitless. "So what? You may be the Director, but have you forgotten the terms of our contract?” He pulls me flush against himself, my heart racing as I reply, "For the next three months, I will do exactly as you say.” He tugs on my hair to tilt my head back, brushing his lips against the exposed curve of my neck. The sensation is electrifying, melting my initial inhibitions. "Good." In one swift motion, he spins me around; and before I know it, Ethan has cuffed my wrists to the desk, leaving me breathless and utterly at his mercy… "Ethan..." "Let it go, Ashley…" That's all I need to push me over the edge. Both my mind and body are under his spell, and I'm going to let him claim me… *** Ashley Waverly’s world shatters when her parents die suddenly. Determined to save her company at any cost, she seeks help from the most ruthless businessman, Ethan Johnson. The heartless Ethan agrees to help her, but on one condition: she has to sign a contract with him. Ashley saves her company, but the business arrangement turns into a nightmare, as Ethan doesn't miss any chance to break her soul and humiliate her. Ashley endures his cruelty in silence, only to disappear the day her contract expires… not knowing Ethan has started to fall for her. After five years, fate has again rolled its dice and both of them have crossed paths. But this time, Ashley is not alone… she has a cute little four-year-old son. Will they find redemption and a second chance at happiness, or will the scars of the past tear them apart once more? ***
View MoreEthan's POV:Her eyes finally soften after a long time, after hearing Peter's words. Otherwise, I had almost lost the hope that she would ever consider my words.“Peter, I… I have told you about–”Her voice again brings me back to the present, but Peter doesn't give me the chance to enjoy it, even for a little while longer.“I know you should have briefed me about your son and moving on with your life, but that is not the reason why I am angry with you. I am not mad because you have hidden your happiness from me, but I am angry because you didn't even contact me in your misery. So before I get even angrier, it would be good for both of you to leave.”He speaks with a fake anger in his tone and a wide smile on his face, as he turns towards me. “Go and get that wench!! Who dared to hurt our precious Adrin!! Or else you both should know that I just don't look fierce, I am actually a very fierce person–”“Yes! We both know that you are a cutie patootie!! Who can almost give a tough compe
Ashley's POV:My anger, fear and anxiety of getting caught up in the lies of my life with Ethan vanishes the moment he starts to play the video, as all my attention has shifted to my poor baby… who was captured in this surveillance footage, getting bullied by his friends brutally.Not only had they snatched his water bottle and lunch box, but they were about to push him to the ground, while at least three other kids were grabbing his collar, sleeve and elbow, pulling him in different directions at the same time.And meanwhile, the teacher was just chilling; sitting peacefully on one of the swings without showing any concern to save my baby or interfere in the fight and break it up.This scene is already enough to make my blood shoot above the boiling point.I'm confident that if I don't get to talk to this teacher as soon as possible and demand answers for her deliberate and blatant act of irresponsibility, my blood will surely start vaporizing in some time, because of the rising fire
Ethan's POV:“Ethan, have you completely lost it? What are you up to, and can't you see that we are in the hospital? Let me make it very clear so that you don't presume to do anything like this again! My son is admitted here, and I can't leave him alone–”Her sweet voice knocks against my ears, carrying a note of agitation with it, and I look at her face with a smile. “Love! Do you really think that I can ever do or plan anything which can give you anxiety? No, honey! I know Adrin is here, and he can't be left alone… but I also know that he is sleeping right now, and the medicine will at least keep him sleeping for two hours–”“So? Even if the medication will keep him sleeping for the next two hours, what do you want me to do? I still can't leave him unattended here–”“Who told you that you are going to leave him unattended?”I cut in, anticipating that her next words are definitely going to be about Adrin’s condition. In order to put her worries to rest, I was just about to tell her
Ashley's POV:I have finally made it to the hospital, and I feel like I can breathe without feeling the weight of each breath like a burden. My son is right in front of my eyes, sleeping peacefully after having some breakfast and taking his medicines. He is healing well, and the doctors have assured us that if everything goes well, then they might consider discharging him tomorrow.Stuart finally got the much–deserved time off to go home and rest, while Mike, who had rushed to New York after leaving everything unwound over there, had to return. Although he didn't want to go anywhere after seeing Adrin’s state, I've made sure that he did. After all, I can't allow him to harm his own business when he was here because of us, busy clearing the mess that he was not even a part of.He is not responsible for anything related to me or Adrin, and the irony is that the person responsible for Adrin, doesn't even know about his existence. And even if he knows about it, I am afraid that he woul
Ashley's POV:The first thing I did after entering the house was to step inside the shower, since I have already told Mike that I will be heading directly to the hospital.Because even though I wasn't completely guilty for what happened yesterday, there are still some fractions of guilt which have ended up falling in my lap, too.I have not only taken the worst decision of my life because of the internal rage I was burning with, but I haven't even cared to inform anyone about this decision in detail.Regardless of how many times I've tried to forget it, I am yet to slide the fact off my head that if Ethan had not arrived there on time, then I don't know what would have happened to me.I can't believe the stupidity I have portrayed, as I didn't even care about my son and his condition in my rage.Twisting the nozzle completely to the right until water starts to rush out of the showerhead, I sit on the cold hard ground, bringing my knees to my chest.I need time… time to think about eve
Ashley's POV:The fear of Ethan's interrogation, which has been controlling my heart and dominating my thoughts, gets a little tamed down with the arrival of Mike, which he announces with a series of questions.And this is why I quickly narrate the directions to reach us, knowing that the longer I stay alone with Ethan, the more difficult it would be for me to hide Adrin's reality.But when he doesn't stop even after Mike's arrival, I decide that it would be good for all three of us if I left the place right away. No matter how poor or shabby I look and how disoriented I feel right now, I can't afford to stay here for a minute longer– or else, it would be too dangerous for me.So the moment I spot the opportunity, I grab it with both hands. But the moment I start to walk towards the exit, I end up noticing the pain in his eyes… the loneliness which I once felt when I first met him. The poor boy who has been greatly deprived of love, care, attention and affection, starts to appear in f
Ethan's POV:“Mike! We are here!! The first room on the right.”Ashley tries to look past me and yells out the directions to find us in reply to his unnecessary, unwelcomed, uninvited screams.Because I don't remember inviting him to my home in any condition… and especially not right now.Anyway, I don't have the time to waste on that idiot. As it is, there is a mountain of questions– piled one on top of the other– stacked on my head.Questions which I need answers for, and I know with him present here, I am not going to get any single hint about those.“Ash… don't… please don't.”I murmur softly, looking at her, holding her by her shoulders and pleading– I know in my soul that I can give anything for this, just for a few more minutes with her.And for a fraction of a second, I can see the pain of my heart reflected in her eyes too.But before I could have continued, that idiot finally proves the proverb right; think of the devil, and the devil is here!“Hazel!! My darling!! How are y
Ashley's POV:“You… you love… I think I have misheard something. But anyway, I am getting quite late already. Thanks for yesterday, I need to go to my son… as he might be up, and waiting for me.”I have heard his words loud and clear, there was absolutely no confusion in hearing any single word he has just spoken. My brain has registered every single thing perfectly.But my heart… my heart has denied it from scratch, to accept any of that.I know there was a time when I wanted nothing more than that… in fact, this was all I wanted from my life… in this entire universe.This is something which I have literally prayed for, in the past. I was ready to pawn off everything I had, just to get to hear these words for once… Maybe, I wouldn't even have hesitated to beg in front of anyone, who could promise to give me this dream life of mine.If only Ethan hadn't said those words, which he did in the past… if only, he had not thought about asking me to commit the sin, which I couldn't even ima
Ashley's POV:I open my eyes and immediately regret it on feeling a sharp pain in my head, as soon as I try to get up from the bed.It takes me a few minutes to regain my composure, when I notice that even though everything around me is completely familiar, I don't exactly remember where I am. Because it isn't my room, or any other room in my or Mike's house.This is when I noticed someone sitting by my side, whose head is buried in both his hands, and he has placed his head on the bed.“Ethan…”I whisper his name and the realization hits me then: we are currently in his farm house… the place which had, once upon a time, started to become my home.The place where I have spent the most memorable moments of my life… the place which has made me fall in love with life…with him…The place, where I never imagined that I would ever get the chance to return. After what has happened in our lives, there was supposed to be no chance that I could ever return here anyhow, or with anyone– especiall
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