Ethan pov
I arrived at the penthouse pretty much earlier than I had anticipated. Not the least bothered about parking my car in the right way even though I knew it was against the rule, I quickly alighted from my bugatti veyron and made my way inside the penthouse.
I was too angry to do anything right, way too angry! I can not believe that my grandfather would have made such a hasty decision regarding the company without me at that!
I arrived at the secretary's desk and asked for my grandfather but she said to make an appointment and come back later. I understood her statement because she couldn't recognize me.
Early this morning, I woke up with two pimples on my face. One at my forehead and the other one close to my lips. Because of that, I had to wear a nose mask and a baseball cap.
Flustered enough, I swiftly removed the nose mask from my face and she froze immediately. Although she was trying to act strong, I could see the fear in her eyes.
“Mr chairman...” she stuttered as her body trembled slightly and I drastically rolled my eyes at her.
“Is my grandfather inside?” I asked while she looked at me like a zombie. I know she must be worried that I might get her fired for not doing her job properly.
Truth be told, I'm not in the mood to get anyone fired and I never planned on coming to my grandpa's penthouse. I was surprised when I got the text about the company being handed over to the last person on my mind, the one and only person I despised with everything in me.
“Are you going to answer me or accept a resignation letter?!” I banged my balled fist on the desk and she suddenly snapped out of her daze.
“Your grandfather is inside but he seems to be having a meeting with a few elders at the moment.” she scratched the nape of her neck nervously and added in a voice lower than before, “He instructed not to allow anyone inside. Perhaps, you could wait until he is done with his meeting.”
I smirked at the nonsensical statement she just made before making my way inside. He is my grandfather and I know him better than anyone. Although he hates it whenever someone interrupts his meeting, I know better than anyone to interrupt it.
I entered the elevator and in no time, I was just three feet away from his office. As I got nearer to the door, I didn't bother to knock but opened the door ajar and walked through it.
My sudden appearance seemed to have affected his ongoing meeting because he suddenly stood up and stretched forth his hands for a shake.
“I'm sorry to say this but we will have to continue with the meeting some other time.” Mr. Greyson, my grandfather uttered in a sophisticated manner which got me scoffing inside my head.
Everyone who knew Greyson would know how strict and arrogant he is towards everyone. And that is where the quote "Blood is thicker than water" comes in because Jonathan is also the same way.
“What are you doing here Ethan?” My grandfather asked immediately as the elders left. Judging from his voice, I could tell how relaxed and non-concerned he was.
A small smirk displayed on his lips as he looked at me. I knew that my grandfather knew the exact reason I came to his penthouse but he just wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth himself.
“I received a text regarding the company position and I don't really...”
“What you received wasn't sent by mistake Ethan. I meant every word I said about handing the company over to your uncle, Jonathan!” My grandfather rushed his words, cutting them off completely.
Jonathan? He was damn serious about handing the company over to Jonathan? I have worked hard for 5 years as the chairman of my grandfather's loan company. I cannot lose my position and hard work all these years.
“Jonathan? You are really good to hand over the company to my uncle?" As soon as I spit these sentences, my grandfather burst into fits of laughter.
“If you don't want me to hand the company over to your uncle, then get married. If you get married and give birth to just a child, the company will be permanently yours but if you don't... I'm afraid your uncle will take care of it.” he explained further and leaned into his chair looking at me, expecting an answer and I obliged.
“Fine then, I will get married, grandfather,” I answered after a few seconds of silence. Giving no room for him to say anything, I quickly stood up from my chair and exited his office.
If getting married is the only thing that will keep my hard work as a Ceo all these years then, I will gladly and willingly do it.
However...
I suddenly halted on my track as my brain wandered thinking about how to get married. I can't even bring myself to communicate with others, so how the hell am I going to get married on short notice?
“I will think of a way, no matter what!” I assured myself before entering my car and starting the engine.
I arrived at the company in just an hour and without wasting much time, I made my way inside. My brain was still occupied with how I was supposed to find a girl who was willing to get married to me, and the greetings of my staff were mute to me.
“Mr. Chairman?” Andrew, my secretary, had a rough voice and immediately our eyes met.
“You have a meeting by 3 pm...” he continued as he glanced at his wristwatch before facing me completely again. “That is in two hours,” he concluded and began trailing behind me.
I simply hummed at his information and took the route to my office. However, I unwillingly halted on my track when I heard a few lewd noises about paying something back.
I took a closer look and saw the "Manager" sign on the door. Although I wasn't the type to meddle in people's business as long as it is about the company, then I guess it's also my business.
I kicked the door open and saw the Manager shouting at a young lady, who clasped her hands pleading to pay back the money she borrowed.
Although her back was turned against me, I was curious to see her face. What was this? Why did I feel attracted to her, even though I had just met her?
“What is going on here?” I ask as I take a step forward.
She finally turned around after hearing my voice. As soon as our eyes met, I felt something similar to a string-pulling taunt. What exactly was I feeling? And why do I feel like I've found the one?
“This is something you don't need to worry about sir, I can...” the Manager was saying when I interrupted.
“Get out!” I turned to him but he still stood there staring at me, until I attempted to take a step forward and he scurried out.
As soon as he left, I took five more steps close to the young lady who was standing in front of me. Now we were just a few inches away from each other.
“Marry me!” I said while looking deep into her eyes.
Ashley pov“Marry me!” he said in a commanding tone and I scoffed within. What the hell was wrong with him? And who does he think he is?Although he looks classy, that doesn't give him the right to stop a lady and ask her to marry him right away. It doesn't make any sense in every sense but he seems not to understand that.“Sir, I think you must be drunk, so I will let it lie and forgive you,” I said nonchalantly and tried to walk out on him, nonetheless, his next words stopped me on my track.“Do you know who I am?” He asked gently as he fixed his gaze on mine, once again. I look into his eyes, not sure how I'll get used to the intensity behind his stare, and shake my head.“No...not at all but I'm well aware that you must be drunk,” I say and see a smirk displayed on his face. This man terrified and intrigued me for just a few seconds, and it was already making my head spin.“From what I have heard, you seem to be owing my company a lot of money. And in case you don't know, I'm not
Ethan PovThe atmosphere in the dining room was getting more and more suffocating as we ate. Early this morning, Mr. Greyson, my grandfather, invited me for breakfast alongside my uncle, Jonathan.I couldn't eat anything but found myself stabbing the steak in my plate while glaring hard at Jonathan. Oh sweet lord, how much I wish he was the one on my plate other than the steak.Grandpa knew too well that Jonathan and I never got along, so why did he have to call us both over? Was he trying to play some sort of game? Or did he call to announce the company being handed over to Jonathan?I was way too curious that I simply stared at my grandfather as he ate hastily. Just then Jonathan cleaned his mouth with a wipe and I knew he was about to say something.“The meal is so delicious father, it reminds me of the old days when Ethan's parents were still alive,” he said with a smile, and my grandfather who was in the middle of twirling a few strands of spaghetti into a ball halted and wiped h
Ashley povThe time for dinner came quickly. I was in the middle of curling my hair when Ethan called to remind me not to be late.Today is the day I'm going to meet with the famous Grandpa Greyson. Damn! I could feel my heart beating faster than usual.“I can do this!” I reassured myself before walking out of the house. The weather seemed a bit cloudy, so I grabbed my umbrella before walking down the street.Truth be told, I have no cash on me to make it there. That is why I prepared earlier than I was supposed to, so I could trek down there. Luckily for me, the address he sent was just an hour away if I'm to walk with my legs.Walking down the street, I could see eyes lurking around me and whispers from people talking about how beautiful I look. However, just as I was about to take the next route, I got surrounded by three thugs.“You are really pretty, do you want to spend a night with me? I will pay you five thousand dollars, what do you say?” One of the thugs with smoke in his mo
"Where are you coming from? And what happened to you?" Ryan asked with a concerned look on his face. I couldn't help but smile at his worried face. "The place isn't important. I guess I just needed to let out some tears, so don't mind me," I replied casually, attempting to downplay the situation. Shifting the subject to lighten the mood, I continued, "Anyway, what do you have in the house? I'm famished." Ryan chuckled dryly, most likely aware of his bachelor lifestyle. "You know I'm a bachelor, right? I don't have any food in the house. Let's order some food instead. What would you like to eat?" Taking a moment to consider my options, I replied, "Fried chicken and chips." Without skipping a beat, Ryan pulled out his phone to place the order."Wait!" I exclaimed, blinking my eyes like a baby, trying to capture Ryan's attention. "What did you want again?" he asked, slightly infuriate. "Can I get some Chinese dishes?" I requested, hoping to change up our food selection. Ryan scoffed
"Yeah, thanks very much, I'll be expecting the pay," I replied with gratitude and a hint of excitement before I gently dropped the call. After a tiring day at the mall, I had come home to a pleasant surprise – a message from someone claiming to have a job for me. Knowing that I needed the money for pressing matters, my spirits soared. Looking back to the previous night, the memory of the unexpected phone conversation resurfaced.PREVIOUS NIGHT "Hello, am I speaking with Ms. Ashley?" the caller had inquired, their voice unfamiliar. "Yes, you've got Ms. Ashley," I responded cautiously, intrigued by the mysterious nature of the call. "I have a job for you," came the response, instantly capturing my attention and fueling my curiosity. "What sort of job are we talking about?" I questioned, eager to learn more about this enticing opportunity. "I'd like to discuss it in person. Could you kindly provide me with your house address?" the caller requested, their intention still hidden from
ASHLEY P.O.V"I don't have anything with me apart from my ID," I replied, attempting to sound bold. But despite my best efforts, my voice betrayed me, coming out shaky instead. As I filled out the loan application, my hands trembled, making it difficult to write my name with confidence. Deep down, I knew my financial history was far from ideal, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of fear that the secretary would reject me outright. However, I couldn't afford to give up hope just yet. There had to be a chance, especially since I no longer owed them any money. Ethan had promised to clear my debt if I came to dinner with him, and I had faith that he, being a wealthy man, would uphold his word. It had been over a week since we last met, and I hadn't received a call from his darn company. That could only mean one thing: my name had been successfully cleared from their list of unreliable debtors. With a nervous yet determined expression, I stretched out the completed application towards the
Ethan P.O.V: I heard a voice call out to me, and I turned my head to see the woman from earlier chasing after me. Confusion washed over me as I wondered why she still wanted to talk. Hadn't we settled everything? She approached me, her tone filled with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. "Excuse me, sir," she began, her words trailing off slightly as if searching for the right way to continue. I looked closely at her, struggling to place where I might know her from. "No, have we met before?" I asked, hoping for some clue that would jog my memory. I couldn't recall ever seeing her face, but maybe I was mistaken. She shook her head, denying any previous encounter. Briefly, she explained, "It's just that I am a good customer of this company." I couldn't help but let a small smile slip as I appreciated her loyalty. "Thanks for being a good customer. I'm sorry that I don't recognize you. It wasn't my fault," I responded, hoping to reassure her. Revealing the truth about my condition, I
Ethan opened his eyes, his surroundings unfamiliar. It soon became clear that he was in a hospital room. Frustration welled up within him as he realized that he despised being surrounded by crowds, a fact that Andrew seemed to know all too well and still forced him to go to the club with him . "You're awake," Andrew said with a smile before rushing out to call the doctor. Minutes later, the doctor arrived and conducted some tests on Ethan's body. "You're in good health now, but it seems you need to address your fear of crowds with a therapist," the doctor stated. Ethan, however, promptly stood up from the bed. "Thanks, but I don't require therapy," he replied curtly. The doctor tried to assert his authority, cautioning Ethan to rest for a while longer. Unperturbed, Ethan retorted, "You can't dictate what I should do," and proceeded to walk out of the hospital, determined to assert his independence. "He never listens," the doctor muttered under his breath. Just then, Ethan's phone
Ethan opened his eyes, his surroundings unfamiliar. It soon became clear that he was in a hospital room. Frustration welled up within him as he realized that he despised being surrounded by crowds, a fact that Andrew seemed to know all too well and still forced him to go to the club with him . "You're awake," Andrew said with a smile before rushing out to call the doctor. Minutes later, the doctor arrived and conducted some tests on Ethan's body. "You're in good health now, but it seems you need to address your fear of crowds with a therapist," the doctor stated. Ethan, however, promptly stood up from the bed. "Thanks, but I don't require therapy," he replied curtly. The doctor tried to assert his authority, cautioning Ethan to rest for a while longer. Unperturbed, Ethan retorted, "You can't dictate what I should do," and proceeded to walk out of the hospital, determined to assert his independence. "He never listens," the doctor muttered under his breath. Just then, Ethan's phone
Ethan P.O.V: I heard a voice call out to me, and I turned my head to see the woman from earlier chasing after me. Confusion washed over me as I wondered why she still wanted to talk. Hadn't we settled everything? She approached me, her tone filled with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. "Excuse me, sir," she began, her words trailing off slightly as if searching for the right way to continue. I looked closely at her, struggling to place where I might know her from. "No, have we met before?" I asked, hoping for some clue that would jog my memory. I couldn't recall ever seeing her face, but maybe I was mistaken. She shook her head, denying any previous encounter. Briefly, she explained, "It's just that I am a good customer of this company." I couldn't help but let a small smile slip as I appreciated her loyalty. "Thanks for being a good customer. I'm sorry that I don't recognize you. It wasn't my fault," I responded, hoping to reassure her. Revealing the truth about my condition, I
ASHLEY P.O.V"I don't have anything with me apart from my ID," I replied, attempting to sound bold. But despite my best efforts, my voice betrayed me, coming out shaky instead. As I filled out the loan application, my hands trembled, making it difficult to write my name with confidence. Deep down, I knew my financial history was far from ideal, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of fear that the secretary would reject me outright. However, I couldn't afford to give up hope just yet. There had to be a chance, especially since I no longer owed them any money. Ethan had promised to clear my debt if I came to dinner with him, and I had faith that he, being a wealthy man, would uphold his word. It had been over a week since we last met, and I hadn't received a call from his darn company. That could only mean one thing: my name had been successfully cleared from their list of unreliable debtors. With a nervous yet determined expression, I stretched out the completed application towards the
"Yeah, thanks very much, I'll be expecting the pay," I replied with gratitude and a hint of excitement before I gently dropped the call. After a tiring day at the mall, I had come home to a pleasant surprise – a message from someone claiming to have a job for me. Knowing that I needed the money for pressing matters, my spirits soared. Looking back to the previous night, the memory of the unexpected phone conversation resurfaced.PREVIOUS NIGHT "Hello, am I speaking with Ms. Ashley?" the caller had inquired, their voice unfamiliar. "Yes, you've got Ms. Ashley," I responded cautiously, intrigued by the mysterious nature of the call. "I have a job for you," came the response, instantly capturing my attention and fueling my curiosity. "What sort of job are we talking about?" I questioned, eager to learn more about this enticing opportunity. "I'd like to discuss it in person. Could you kindly provide me with your house address?" the caller requested, their intention still hidden from
"Where are you coming from? And what happened to you?" Ryan asked with a concerned look on his face. I couldn't help but smile at his worried face. "The place isn't important. I guess I just needed to let out some tears, so don't mind me," I replied casually, attempting to downplay the situation. Shifting the subject to lighten the mood, I continued, "Anyway, what do you have in the house? I'm famished." Ryan chuckled dryly, most likely aware of his bachelor lifestyle. "You know I'm a bachelor, right? I don't have any food in the house. Let's order some food instead. What would you like to eat?" Taking a moment to consider my options, I replied, "Fried chicken and chips." Without skipping a beat, Ryan pulled out his phone to place the order."Wait!" I exclaimed, blinking my eyes like a baby, trying to capture Ryan's attention. "What did you want again?" he asked, slightly infuriate. "Can I get some Chinese dishes?" I requested, hoping to change up our food selection. Ryan scoffed
Ashley povThe time for dinner came quickly. I was in the middle of curling my hair when Ethan called to remind me not to be late.Today is the day I'm going to meet with the famous Grandpa Greyson. Damn! I could feel my heart beating faster than usual.“I can do this!” I reassured myself before walking out of the house. The weather seemed a bit cloudy, so I grabbed my umbrella before walking down the street.Truth be told, I have no cash on me to make it there. That is why I prepared earlier than I was supposed to, so I could trek down there. Luckily for me, the address he sent was just an hour away if I'm to walk with my legs.Walking down the street, I could see eyes lurking around me and whispers from people talking about how beautiful I look. However, just as I was about to take the next route, I got surrounded by three thugs.“You are really pretty, do you want to spend a night with me? I will pay you five thousand dollars, what do you say?” One of the thugs with smoke in his mo
Ethan PovThe atmosphere in the dining room was getting more and more suffocating as we ate. Early this morning, Mr. Greyson, my grandfather, invited me for breakfast alongside my uncle, Jonathan.I couldn't eat anything but found myself stabbing the steak in my plate while glaring hard at Jonathan. Oh sweet lord, how much I wish he was the one on my plate other than the steak.Grandpa knew too well that Jonathan and I never got along, so why did he have to call us both over? Was he trying to play some sort of game? Or did he call to announce the company being handed over to Jonathan?I was way too curious that I simply stared at my grandfather as he ate hastily. Just then Jonathan cleaned his mouth with a wipe and I knew he was about to say something.“The meal is so delicious father, it reminds me of the old days when Ethan's parents were still alive,” he said with a smile, and my grandfather who was in the middle of twirling a few strands of spaghetti into a ball halted and wiped h
Ashley pov“Marry me!” he said in a commanding tone and I scoffed within. What the hell was wrong with him? And who does he think he is?Although he looks classy, that doesn't give him the right to stop a lady and ask her to marry him right away. It doesn't make any sense in every sense but he seems not to understand that.“Sir, I think you must be drunk, so I will let it lie and forgive you,” I said nonchalantly and tried to walk out on him, nonetheless, his next words stopped me on my track.“Do you know who I am?” He asked gently as he fixed his gaze on mine, once again. I look into his eyes, not sure how I'll get used to the intensity behind his stare, and shake my head.“No...not at all but I'm well aware that you must be drunk,” I say and see a smirk displayed on his face. This man terrified and intrigued me for just a few seconds, and it was already making my head spin.“From what I have heard, you seem to be owing my company a lot of money. And in case you don't know, I'm not
Ethan povI arrived at the penthouse pretty much earlier than I had anticipated. Not the least bothered about parking my car in the right way even though I knew it was against the rule, I quickly alighted from my bugatti veyron and made my way inside the penthouse.I was too angry to do anything right, way too angry! I can not believe that my grandfather would have made such a hasty decision regarding the company without me at that!I arrived at the secretary's desk and asked for my grandfather but she said to make an appointment and come back later. I understood her statement because she couldn't recognize me.Early this morning, I woke up with two pimples on my face. One at my forehead and the other one close to my lips. Because of that, I had to wear a nose mask and a baseball cap.Flustered enough, I swiftly removed the nose mask from my face and she froze immediately. Although she was trying to act strong, I could see the fear in her eyes.“Mr chairman...” she stuttered as her bo