Ivy’s POVI saw the emotions flicker across his face. A flash of anger, disappointment, and then sadness. The sadness lingered in those honey-brown eyes, eyes that had only ever looked at me with happiness swirling in their depths. They looked awfully sad now, and then he went numb. A blank stare settled on his face, as if all the emotions that crossed his features had happened in my head. Like it was only a figment of my imagination. That was the last look I saw before he walked out of my apartment.I rushed after him. “Asher! Asher! It’s not what you think, I promise!” Tears welled up in my eyes. “Hear me out, please!”But he was gone. He disappeared around the corner. I should have rushed after him, but something stopped me. I didn’t know what it was, but I already regretted it. The tears I had held back trickled down my cheeks. I didn’t even know exactly why I was crying, but I couldn’t shake off how sad he looked when he stared at me.I walked back into the apartment, and Max was
Asher’s POVI blinked my eyes repeatedly, struggling to adjust to the bright rays of sunshine seeping through the windows. I had a pounding headache that made me dizzy for a moment. I let out a grunt of exhaustion. Flashes of last night flooded my memory as I grabbed my alarm clock from my bedside and peered at it. It was a few minutes after 12 in the afternoon, and I had slept for most of the day. I reached for the landline by my bedside and sat up in alarm when I saw a couple of messages from Marcus. I had an important meeting with him and my dad at Sterling Industries.I reluctantly got out of bed. There were also a few missed calls from Luca. He was probably calling to check up on me; I knew I wouldn’t hear the end of it until I gave him a detailed explanation of my attitude the night before. I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. I acted out of character last night. I remembered calling the girl I was with last night, Ivy. I sighed in exasperation; I was drunk to the point
Marcus’s POVI was annoyed when my assistant informed me that Asher was in the building. There was nothing like a quiet arrival when it concerned my brother. I never understood why, but whenever he walked into the office, he always seemed to attract a long line of people trying to fawn over him. Ladies clutching their pearls and fan-girling so hard. Grown men with round-rimmed glasses grinning from ear to ear at the sight of him always made me want to puke. I reasoned that it was because he had been involved with a good percentage of people on my employee list. He was always debauched like that.I was even more annoyed when I walked into the reception area and saw him in Ava’s arms, the company’s receptionist. I could swear that he had already been involved with her, despite my warnings. My brother was, to put it kindly, a degenerate. I was hoping he wouldn’t show up at all today; maybe that would convince my father that he was about to make the most stupid decision of his entire life
Marcus’s POVI pulled out another copy and pushed it towards him. “Thankfully, I expected your irrationality, dear brother.”He looked at the paper but didn’t bother touching it.“So, back to my question…”He reclined in his chair and heaved a deep sigh. “You don’t care for my dreams, Marcus. You don’t care for my goals, my de—”“I don’t,” I cut in sharply. “I can’t even pretend to.” I flicked the ballpoint pen between my forefinger and thumb. “I care for the Sterling dream. I care for the legacy my father built.”He bent over and burst into laughter, clutching his belly. “You talk like he isn’t my father.”“I care for my father’s hard work!” My voice had risen a notch. “I couldn’t care less about anything else. I’ve given my life, lived for this family…” I stopped and gripped the edge of my table. My breathing was shallow as I struggled to regulate it. I was slowly losing control, almost unraveling, nearly exposing myself to my little brother. I couldn’t have him see me weak—not ever
Marcus’s POVRufus got out of the car and opened the door. I stepped out and scanned the area before walking into the cafe, with Rufus following closely behind me. Two other bodyguards flanked me on each side. It wasn’t hard to spot her in the crowd. She was easily the most beautiful person in the room. Her blonde hair cascaded in waves down her shoulders.She had a mug in her hands, halfway towards her mouth when she saw me. Her eyes were the prettiest shade of blue I had ever seen. I stared intently at her as her eyes lit up, her cheeks turned red, and her full lips slowly curled into a smile. She waved at me.Admittedly, I took a long time to walk up to her because I was entranced by her beauty. I dramatically cleared my throat as I got near. “Hello, Ivy, what a surprise to see you here!”She flashed me a perfect smile. “Oh, this is my favorite spot. I would come here every day if I could…”“Can I…” I gestured towards the chair.“Sure, of course!”I watched as her cheeks turned red
Asher’s POVLuca peered intently at the phone screen. “It says here, Ivy Whitfield was spotted with her brother-in-law at a local café…” He trailed off and read the article in silence.I was pacing from one end of the room to the other.He looked up at me. “It’s a harmless article. Most of it is just basic, normal reporting- what they had, what they were wearing, a few pictures here and there. I mean, the only weird thing about this article is that it says you and Marcus have a wonderful relationship, and of course, he’s going to love your wife. That’s a terrible lie…” He paused. “I mean, I haven’t seen anybody with so much hate for their siblings like the two of you share. You two are the poster image for sibling hate, your hate for each…”“That’s irrelevant, Luca!” I cut in. “That’s not why I showed you the article!”“Okay…” He trailed off, his brows furrowed in confusion. “What am I supposed to be looking at?” he asked.I raked my fingers through my hair and sighed in exasperation.
Max’s POVI handed the big, burly man a card. He peered at it for a moment before waving me in. I took one last, long look around before walking inside. The adjoining door led me to a private lounge, dimly lit with soft music playing in the background.A few people lingered in different corners, and the servers, both male and female, wore flimsy dresses as they moved across the room carrying drinks. I squinted, scanning for her briefly, and then I saw her, with her back to me. I walked up to her and sat across from her without a word.She leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. She wore a black tube dress that clung to her slender figure and high-heeled shoes. “Shots,” she offered, pushing a small tray toward me.I sat up straight. “No, I’m here to talk, and I need to be clear-headed when I do it.”A hint of a smile played on her lips, her bright blue eyes boring into me as she took a sip of her wine. My gaze wandered to her blood-red nails curling around the glass,
Asher’s POVDinner with my father was exactly what I expected: bland, formal, and devoid of anything remotely personal. We sat across from each other in the dim, overly polished dining room, the kind of place where the weight of expectation hung heavier than the chandelier overhead. Save for the tip of the head and a murmured response when we got here, we had not said a word to each other.With my father, I had learned to reduce the weight of my expectation since I was a little boy. My father was never one to show emotions, and no matter how I tried all these years, I could never get him to act like he cared.Once I received the message from him asking me to dinner, I knew it was for serious business. Unlike my mother, who made the effort to dine casually with us even though it was forced, my father never did. I arrived earlier than usual, and to my utter disappointment, he was already seated, waiting for me. Whether he was annoyed or not, his expression didn’t show it. When the waite
Asher’s POVMy heart leapt the moment Ivy sauntered into my room, wrapped in a pale pink robe. Though we were still officially sleeping apart - her decision, not mine - I had asked her countless times to move in.Something was holding her back, but that didn’t stop us from spending nearly every other night together. I always looked forward to those evenings. I rushed home early every day, eager for our routine: a movie before bed or simply talking until we fell asleep.Tonight was no different.She beamed as she entered; her smile lighting up the room. Slowly, she slipped off her robe, revealing the flimsy nightdress underneath.“I had quite the day…” she began, climbing into bed.My gaze locked onto hers. “Tell me all about it,” I encouraged, my voice low and eager.She tucked her hair behind her ear, leaning closer. “It was Taylor,” she said, her tone exasperated.I rolled my eyes and sighed deeply. “What did that bitch do this time?” I muttered under my breath.Ivy laid back, resti
Taylor’s POVI had a grin on my face as I walked into the dressing area. It had been there since the moment I woke up that morning. My mind danced back to the week’s events.It wasn’t every day that I pulled off something as spectacular as blackmailing Asher Sterling. Of course, it had taken a whole week of careful planning and luck.Luck had been on my side that evening at the formal dinner. Walking up to Marcus Sterling had been a gamble, but it paid off. Luck was what made him listen to me. Not that I had to say much.The dick fucker was sold the moment I told him I was a friend of Ivy’s. Odd, wasn’t it? Did he like his brother’s wife?I shook my head. None of that mattered now, though it had been my golden ticket to the Sterling event. Sure, it meant enduring Marcus’s endless chatter, but it was a small price to pay for the look on Asher’s face when he saw me on his brother’s arm.I could still see it - his pale expression, his eyes desperately trying to piece me together and figu
Asher’s POVI sat absentmindedly at the table, the faint sounds of silverware clicking and the low hum of conversation filling the grand dining room. I forced a polite smile, nodding at something one of the guests said, though I wasn’t paying attention.I wasn’t even sure if I was expected to respond. Thankfully, the man who had spoken to me turned back to his plate.Across the table, Taylor was smiling, her expression tinged with amusement. She was clearly enjoying this - watching me struggle to focus on anything.Then I felt it— a nudge against my foot. Subtle at first, then firmer.I stiffened, glancing up. Taylor was looking directly at me, her expression as innocent as ever. When no one else was watching, she winked, her lips curling into a smug grin.I pulled my foot back, forcing myself to focus as Marcus, seated next to me, leaned in.“Asher,” Marcus said, his tone light but probing, “what’s the progress on Sterling Winery? Any new wines in the works?”I blinked, realizing I h
Asher’s POVI tried to walk away, but Marcus stopped me. “How’s Ivy?” he asked.I had a smartass reply at the tip of my tongue, but I decided against it. “What is it, Marcus?” I didn’t want to deal with him any longer than I had to.He shrugged. “A lot of people would love to see her. I, for one, would love to see her. If she doesn’t show up for important family events like this, then it has me thinking, is something up?”I couldn’t help but grin. “Marcus, Ivy and I are fantastic. If you would like to know, there’s nothing…”He turned around. “Meet my plus one, Asher. Isn’t she a beauty?”I looked up and stared in the direction he was pointing at. It was Taylor. She was wearing a shimmery black halter neck dress, her hair tied back in a slick bun, with a wide smile on her face as she sashayed towards us.What the heck? I cursed under my breath. How? How was she with Marcus? Where did they even meet? Wasn’t she just with Luca the other time? My eyes widened. Could she have told him?Ta
Asher’s POVIvy leaned closer to me on her tiptoes as she tried to fix my black bow tie. She was so close I couldn’t help but inhale her scent. She smelled of the loveliest flowers, her scent was intoxicating. I brought my nose to the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply.She inched away, giggling uncontrollably. “That tickles…”“You really can’t come?” I asked for the umpteenth time, giving her the puppy dog eyes.She smoothed my dress and pulled back. “I told you I can’t. I have a shoot in the city in a few hours,” she glanced at her wristwatch, “2, 3 hours. It’s a simple shoot, and also Janine and I have a coffee date for later in the evening. So yes, I have quite the commitment.”He exhaled and shook his head. “You know Janine is hanging out with you as an excuse to get out of a family event?”She flashed me a wide grin. “Is she now? I’m flattered she’s picking me over family?”“Hey,” I knew she was joking, but I still needed her to know it. “You know I’d ditch them in a heartbeat
Asher’s POVI hesitated, then turned to her fully. “I want you to be proud of me.”She paused, her hands resting lightly on my arm. “Asher, I am proud of you and of what you’ve done so far. You are a good man, and you’re going to do great things with this,” she gestured around. “You don’t have to prove anything to me.”Her words, so simple and sincere, unraveled something in me. I didn’t deserve her faith, not with the secrets I was keeping, but in that moment, I wanted to believe her.We stood there in the quiet, her gaze locked with mine, until the weight of it gave way to a shared grin. Moments later, we were giggling uncontrollably, slipping on the juice-slick floor as we tried to balance.Once the grapes were pressed, we poured a small glass of the fresh wine and tasted it. Ivy made a face. “You know what would make this better?” she asked, tilting her head thoughtfully.“What?”Her grin widened as she leaned in. “What if we added this to the wine from our dinner in the garden—th
Asher’s POVI held out a hand to her. “Are you ready?”She grinned at me. “What’s this? Take your spouse to work day?” she teased.I smiled at her as she slipped her hands into mine, and I shrugged. “Something like that.”Ivy was the one who had offered to follow me to the company today. I had woken up to breakfast already set at the table. It was a gesture that warmed my heart, but nothing compared to when she told me she would call in sick from work and follow me to the office.I led her through those glass doors, and as soon as we walked into the reception area, all eyes turned in our direction. Well, they were mostly looking at her. It wasn’t every day a hot model strode into work. And by God, she looked hot today.She wore a simple white dress that clung to her in all the right ways. It stopped mid-thigh and made her legs look longer. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She had light makeup on and a simple piece of jewelry. It was minimal effort, and yet she looked the most
Luca’s POVI stared at her, my eyes twinkling with admiration. “You look...”“What?” she asked, blinking rapidly.I pulled her closer until she was pressed up against me, tucking her hair away from her face and cupping her cheeks. “You look like a snack, Janine, and I want to eat you up.”She giggled. “Okay then?”“Okay?” I asked, unsure. With Janine, I always took my time. She wasn’t like the other girls. She meant so much more to me. I was afraid to hurt her, afraid to do anything she didn’t like.She nodded, her eyes shining brightly.I gripped her jaw and drew her in. I kissed her tenderly at first, savoring the feeling of her soft lips against mine. My hands slipped around her waist.Then, before I knew it, she stood on her tiptoes, her hands wrapping around me as she deepened the kiss. Her tongue probed my lips, and I let her, surrendering to her. With the other women in my life, I was always in charge. Not with Janine. She was like an enigma to me. Apparently, Janine didn’t fee
Asher’s POVThe table was set perfectly. Candlelight flickered softly in the cool evening breeze, casting shadows on the ivory tablecloth and the bunch of roses I had picked out earlier for her. The garden was quiet except for the soft sounds of the night breeze.I sat, trying to seem relaxed, nursing a glass of red wine that tasted bitter in my dry mouth. It was a wine from Sterling Winery. We were trying to perfect a new wine. I was not satisfied with the results yet; there was something missing, and I couldn’t quite figure out what it was, neither could the rest of my team.But I wasn’t relaxed.Taylor’s words echoed in my head. “There’s so much pressure with this. You’re a billionaire; there are many things I could want, but I can’t make up my mind.” Her voice had been soft, almost pitying, as if she hadn’t just threatened the happiness I had just found in my life, like she wasn’t enjoying this. And those photos.God, the photos. Every time I blinked, I saw them, burned into the b