Chapter 30Ian had gotten his confirmation. It hadn't even been planned, he was busy brooding, but it seemed her being asleep lulled him to sleep too, and it was a worriless sleep.A perfect two hours. He woke up feeling much better than he had in an entire month. What was it about her that made his insomnia go away? Was it the fact that she always looked so peaceful sleeping that tricked his subconscious? He didn't know it was even possible to get sleep in the evening. It was always something he heard of people doing, but never himself. She could sleep anywhere. She especially loved cars.Now that he knew she wasn't what he thought her to be – because no gold digger would voluntarily give out that kind of money every month – he didn't know how he'd convince her to sleep with him. He wasn't picky, just once or twice a week was enough to atleast elongate his wonky lifespan by two years. He wished Rita hadn't gone into law. The conglomerate could under no circumstances fall into Mark'
Chapter 31As Ashley entered the giant hall, she made a beeline straight for her father. The man was insufferable, he could decide to freeze it even if she brought Ian.The thought of Ian gave her pause and she looked around but didn't see him. She didn't see her father either. How big was this place? What were they even celebrating? She had at least hoped they would be celebrating something worthwhile that she could sit around and watch. But her friends were missing, her father was missing, and her husband was missing. Instead she was surrounded by people looking her up and down, some looks lecherous. Thankful to Ian for providing the long coat – and regretting taking it off in the first place – she donned it on, reducing the amount of people leering at her.She spotted her father walking away from a place with empty space in the front and boasting at his business partners. Amelia had done something worthy again. She tried to think it wasn't her business on most days, she tried to f
Chapter 32Chloe stood at the entrance of the enclosed gazebo, watching and waving at people that looked her way. It was such a lovely evening and so many great things had happened already.She entered a limo for the first time, Ian Hills acknowledged her, she entered a mansion worth a lot of millions, she was sipping okay wine. The night was young and bright.The fact that a certain person's ex was tied up inside the gazebo was only another plus in the long night of plusses.She was satisfied with threatening him, or telling him off. She, Christopher and Rita had their whole warning speech planned in the limo – with Christopher throwing weird angry vibes everytime Rita opened her mouth and Rita throwing weird angry vibes everytime Christopher talked to her, she didn't know what the fuck was up with them, they had literally just met, it was however none of her business so she stayed out of it.When the negative tension between them got too much, she turned to the quiet Yu Zhen. The ma
Chapter 33Ashley was satisfied. She had thrown as many insults as she wanted over the course of the evening, and the guests were already waning. At first, people had rushed the event – everyone wanted to see Ian Hills – but for some reason, they weren't able to get in. She supposed Yu Zhen wanted to regulate the number of people.She had never seen Yu Zhen so serious. The man was always smiling or smirking in some sort of way, but the last time she saw him beside Ian, his frown was almost as grave as Ian's.She let the lizard beside her go and started looking for her father. It was time to talk about business."You're useless, your boyfriend is mine, your father is mine, everything you wish you own is mine", Amelia sneered as she eagerly removed her hand from Ashley s elbow.Ashley swallowed the sting of her statement and sent things right back."At least I wasn't publicly disgraced", she said calmly, dusting off her arm like she had it elbow deep in cow dung. "Oh please! Like you
Chapter 34"What have I done to have such a shameful child as your daughter? I didn't birth her, but I tried to raise her. In one night she has done such disgraceful things!", Leo growled at his wife. Ashley raised an eyebrow. Her father never raised his voice. "I-it's…do-""I don't want to hear anything, get that girl in line!", He snarled and told her to walk away. The woman kept her cool and sent a glare Ashley's way. These people were so foolish, why did they blame everything that went wrong on her?"Daughter, I apologize for your sister's shameful behavior", her father started and Ashley marveled, it seemed he was turning over a new leaf. "The Leon family is a good family, if you can draw the Richard boy back to you, I won't freeze you from your inheritance", her father said casually. Ashley grit her teeth. He never did anything for anybody, he only berated Amelia's mother in his own selfish interest."Father the condition was for me to-""You're close friends with Rita Hills,
Chapter 35Ian was disappointed. He had hoped she would sleep in the car so he'd sleep too. He was still riding on the high of sleeping two hours and he had hoped that an extra one hour or so would help him through the week.He could sense a general broodiness in her emotions. It was even worse than the night of their wedding. He didn't know how to suddenly change his displacement to her overnight, so he wasn't exactly sure what he did wrong. He should have brought his laptop in here. He didn't know how to operate entirely through a phone like Yu Zhen, so except for making some calls, he was stranded.He hated this feeling of having nothing to do. It was strange and unwelcome. Ashley had closed her eyes, but she didn't seem to be asleep. A single tear ran from her eyes and he massaged his temple. How did one comfort a woman that wanted to be left alone?Why did he want to comfort her? She looked like the epitome of depression. Like a woman scorned by life. He decided to try out how
Chapter 36Ashley refused to panic, she just needed to give him chest compressions and mouth to mouth. She had seen this happen to one of her students and she saw how the paramedics brought him back.She sealed her mouth over his and gave him two breaths. She checked for a pulse and there was no pulse. She pumped his chest three times. Still no response.She alternated between breathing and pumping his chest in cycles. On the fifth cycle, she felt a faint pulse. She continued till Ian gasped and opened his eyes. Ashley didn't realize that she was intensely shaking until she pulled him into a hug and felt her body vibrating against him."I take it that I'm not dead", Ian said, his voice hoarse. Ashley was soaking through the fabric on his shoulder with her tears."W-w-w-w-","Cry it out first", Ian interrupted as she hiccuped through her tears trying to ask him a question.He tapped on the divide, the woman still clutching him tightly. The driver dropped the divide and looked through
Chapter 37Ashley stood ramrod straight, glaring at the man standing across from her on the other side of the bed."Drop it", she snarled."I'm thankful you saved my life. However you still have no right to act like you're actually my-""Drop. That. Shit. Now", she glowered.Ian stood stubbornly, refusing to drop it.Ian had freshened up first and Ashley had waited till she got night clothes before she went to bathe.When she came back in the fluffy pajamas she was provided, Ian was already working at the desk in his room. Whose bright idea was it to allow a workaholic install a desk in their room?"I swear-""Do not forget that you're my wife only in name", Ian said coldly, his rigid exterior coming back to play.Ashley did not give a shit. She didn't know why but she cared for him, and she refused to let Rita lose her sibling so early in life, so if she had to channel her inner disappointed housewife, she would channel it to the best of her ability."I won't hesitate to smash it", s