Asher’s POVI opened the doors and walked out. Luca stepped out of his sports car, dressed in a flamboyant suit and shades.“What’s with the agent look?” I asked jokingly.He laughed and walked up to me, embracing me. Luca had been my friend for as long as I could remember. We were practically brothers at this point.“Hey man, what’s good?” I asked as soon as we pulled away.“I’m alright, bro.”“How was your flight?”“It was exhausting, but it was worth it because I scored this really hot girl’s number, and we’re meeting tomorrow night.”I shook my head. “And I see you never change, my friend.”“It was a business trip, so now I’m back for the pleasure. All work and no play, remember?”“I hear you, brother.” I chuckled as we walked towards the house.“So what are you doing here, anyway? Isn’t this supposed to be the house you live in when you eventually get a girl pregnant because you actually have to marry her?” Luca laughed at the top of his voice.“Well, my friend, I believe we have
Ivy’s POV.I ran my fingers through the tangled mess of hair on my head as I descended the stairs. I was wearing a black crop top and beige wide-legged pants. I stood at the entrance of the dining area where my parents were already seated, and servants dressed in formal black and white attire hurried in and out, laying the table.I watched them silently for a moment. My father, a tall man with a lanky build and curly dark hair, was dressed in a flowery shirt and casual slacks. His eyes, a lighter shade of blue, were fixated on my mother with an excited glint. She was all he saw.“So I called my stylist, and I told her, ‘there’s no way you’re delaying my appointment. I have plans fixed, and I’ll be leaving the country soon...’”Oh. They had yet another trip, one they hadn’t told me about. I wondered what it was for. Probably nothing important. In all the years I’d known my parents, one thing I learned is they never needed a reason to do anything. They were always impulsive. I’d wake up
Asher’s POVI hated this part of the job—the never-ending meetings, the long, boring conversations, having to sit still around the conference table and pretend to pay rapt attention to whatever my brother was saying. I had to, however. It was part of my job. One of the reasons I envied Marcus was that he seemed to fit right into this place. The perfect son, the perfect CEO.“From the analysis, Sterling Industries is set to experience a 15% increase in profit next month…”I drowned out his ear-scratching voice, but I couldn’t deny that everyone else seemed to like it. My father sat at the head of the table, his face stoic. His silver hair was styled to perfection, not a single strand out of place. His intense eyes were fixated on the projector screen, and all the shareholders and foreign investors were focused on whatever Marcus was saying.He was good at it; that was the truth I had always known. Being the second child was a lot harder when the first was so perfect. It was as if there
Asher’s POVI walked into the empty diner. When my mom sent me an invitation for dinner earlier, I knew instantly that something was up. It was uncharacteristic of us to hang out alone together. I had an idea of what she wanted to speak about already.It wasn’t hard to spot her. Besides the fact that the diner was practically empty, surely on my mother’s orders, she was the only person who showed up at a fancy diner wearing a business suit, her hair tied back and put in a bun, making her look serious.She was tapping on her phone when I approached her. “Mom,”She looked up at me with those dull brown eyes. “Asher?” she managed a small smile.Over the years, I learned quickly that this was the most affection I’d get from my mother. It was hard to come to terms with it because, unlike my father, her stoicism felt forced. Like she was playing a character, I could always see the struggle in her eyes, her holding back, but maybe it was all in my head, and I was overthinking it. Maybe. As a
Ivy’s POVI woke up that morning and let out an exasperated groan. I remembered the shoot I had planned for the day and sighed in frustration. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to confront Taylor, not yet, at least. I sorted through my morning routine quickly and headed downstairs in a robe.I walked up to a table laden with all kinds of foods and drinks, with Asher sitting there, legs crossed. He smiled warmly at me as soon as I walked in.“I would have brought breakfast in bed, but I didn’t know how to manage,” he said, gesturing towards the breakfast buffet laid out on the table.My mouth watered instantly, and I smiled appreciatively at him.“You really didn’t have to,” I told him.“You were down yesterday. I was only trying to make you feel better,” he replied.I clutched tightly to my robe as I sat across from him. His watchful eyes followed my every move. I watched him lift a large glass to his lips. How did he make drinking look so erotic? Who was I kidding? Everything about t
Asher’s POVI kept stealing glances at the door where she had walked through, waiting to see her walk out again. The team had been extra friendly because I was sitting comfortably with a front-row view of the shoot area, a fine bottle of unopened champagne in front of me. My jaw dropped when she emerged. Her outfit was a beautiful nude dress that stopped mid-thigh, making her legs look even longer.Assistants rushed back and forth, adjusting the lighting, fixing props, and setting up the stage.She glanced at me and smiled. It was the most beautiful sight, making me feel warm inside. When she approached me, I stood up and closed the distance between us. “You look beautiful,” I blurted out as soon as she got closer.She smiled in response and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Taylor is trying to get me to talk to her...”“Would you like me to do something about her?” I asked. “Say, kick her out of the shoot, for instance?”She gave me a funny look.I clutched my chest. “I’m really serio
Ivy’s POVAsher had been the sweetest. It was hard to reconcile him with the same guy who teased me all the time in the past. I was too chicken to face Taylor, but on his insistence, I had gone to the shoot. Having him around made me feel a lot better. I didn’t have the crippling dread inside me as I walked into the studio. His corny remarks made me focus on something other than the anger I felt for Taylor.I wanted to go on a long rant. I wanted to charge at her and scream down the studio. It was hard enough dealing with my heartbreak alone, having no one around to talk to. The last thing I needed was my heartbreak becoming the next trendy news in the media. I couldn’t even tell my parents—I didn’t need strangers dissecting my life and picking me apart. That was why I stayed quiet, why I avoided Taylor all day, and why I pretended not to hear her call out to me several times.He made it even easier. I loved the way his eyes searched for me at every point, like we were old lovers. The
Asher’s POV“Are you okay, man?” Luca asked for the umpteenth time that week. We were in my living room.I turned to glare at him. “What do you think?” I turned back to stare at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was sticking out oddly because I had run my fingers through it repeatedly. I was sporting stubble on my chin and jawline, and my eyes looked sunken, like I hadn’t slept in days—which wasn’t far from the truth.“You look like shit, and I’m genuinely worried,” he said.I exhaled. “Luca, I told you I was fine. You didn’t have to stop by.”He eyed me. “Yeah, of course. There’s absolutely no reason to be worried about you right now.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I mean, can’t you just call her? She’s your wife, isn’t she? And you definitely miss her.”Damn right I did. After our last argument, Ivy had gone home, and I hadn’t heard from her in two weeks. She didn’t come back to our house either. I was hoping she would, considering she had her things here. She didn’t resp