The day had finally arrived. The deal I had kept on hold for over a year, waiting for the perfect moment, was here and now. I had hoped that one day she would return, and I would use this deal to get her. And everything happened as I expected. I could have stopped the news of her slapping Vini Weber from spreading yesterday, could have steadied the Weber Group’s shares with a single phone call. But I wanted more than a simple “thank you” from her. I wanted her. I'd sacrifice a fortune for her—three billion, thirty billion—it didn’t matter. But she was blind to see how much I needed her, how desperate I was to make her mine. "Did you hear that?" she asked again, her voice slicing through my thoughts. I opened the drawer and pulled out the contract I had prepared weeks ago, the paper cool against my fingers. I pushed it across the desk. Her eyes widened when she read the term contract on the papers. "What is this?" “Read it,” I replied, keeping my tone measured, hiding the
I was clenched in one corner, feeling a little uncomfortable. I huddled myself further into the corner and tried to put as much distance as possible between us. The driver felt more like a robot; he did not blink or shift his gaze for the entire ride, as if Mr. Dylan had given him strict orders about it.Dylan's fragrance was strong, yet undeniably attractive. He wore a white shirt and black trousers, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscular arms with greenish veins throbbing. I couldn’t help but stare. No wonder women went crazy about him.Suddenly, I felt hands gripping my waist, and a wave of discomfort washed over me. I shifted slightly."Mr. Dylan, I already told you, I'm not the kind of woman who sleeps around with men," I tried to set my boundaries once again. His expression darkened."What do you think of me, Ashley? Do you think I'm close to you because I want to fuck you?" His words were blunt, hitting me like a punch to the gut. I swallowed hard. I felt embar
Vini's eyes filled with tears and her fist were clenched. She stared at me as if she were going to eat me alive. "What happened, Vini? It was just a painting," I said. Everyone around us snapped photos of it, murmuring among themselves. Alex's sharp eyes looked at me in frustration. As soon as I stepped off the stage, Alex’s family surrounded me. Vini was crying like she'd lost everything. She must be cursing me under her breath. "Why did you do that? Do you really hate me this much?" Vini took out a blade from her purse and placed it on her wrist. "I should kill myself to satisfy you," Vini screamed. The crowd muttered, giving her sympathy. "Miss Ashley is hurting Miss Vini so much. Now Miss Vini is getting into depression." "Yeah! I mean, look how she insulted Miss Vini's painting publicly." I grabbed the blade from her left hand and placed it in her right palm. "If you really want to die, cut the nerves of your left wrist, not the right one," I said. Her face turned pa
I pushed myself against the corner of the car to avoid any contact with Dylan. His face showed clear irritation. He didn’t like my behavior. I had been defensive every time he tried to hold my hand or even touch me."Miss Ashley..." he called out in a sharp tone. His glare was cold and piercing. "I am not invisible, am I?" he asked sarcastically. I knew very well that the man sitting beside me was not just any ordinary person. Even the exhibition owner had bowed to him like he was some kind of emperor. No one would dare insult or ignore him, but I was extremely upset because of that deal."No, Mr. Dylan. I am just a little tired," I said.I glanced at my watch. It was almost eleven. I still had to plan my strategy for tomorrow’s press conference.All of a sudden, a car came out of nowhere and rammed into our car. The impact was so strong that sparks flew from the collision, lighting up the dark road."Ahhh..." I jumped in my seat. Dylan instantly moved closer and wrapped his arms arou
While being in the car, when she pulled her hands away, I shamelessly grabbed her waist. Her playing hard to get only fueled my desire. When I had her on my lap, I wanted her there for the entire journey. But as soon as those hooligans ran off, she slipped back into her seat. The distance between us was unbearable. "I was still stranger to everyone. Isn't too awkward to bring this topic..." Before she could say anything else, the door behind swung open. Alex and Vini walked inside. Ashley immediately pulled away from me as if she was guilty of something. "Mr. Dylan, are you okay? I heard about the accident. I hope everything's fine," Vini asked, her face was full of concern. Alex's eyes were fixed on Ashley. I clenched my jaw. The way he looked at her made me want to rip him apart. "Yeah, I’m fine," I barely aknowledged Vini. My eyes stayed fixed on Alex, silently warning him to back off. But he didn’t. He approached Ashley and placed his hands on her shoulder "Are you alright?" he a
Ashley POV"Stop it, Dylan.." I pushed him away, not because I didn't want his kiss but because I liked it too much. The way his lips claimed mine stirred something deep within me. A spark that I hadn't felt in years and it terrified me. I turned away, guiltily, I had just divorced not a month before, and Dylan's touch sparked in my heart. He stormed into my heart. "Ashley.." Dylan called me, I avoided looking at him. He is about to touch my face. "Don't.." I shook my head. "Don't do this to me.." My body was turned hot, he might have felt it if he tried to touch it. I didn't want him to know that his touch melted me right now. We are just bound by the deal. I shouldn't raise much hope. When I loved Alex deeply, he gave me pain. If I dared to love a person like Dylan, he would shatter my heart into small pieces. I climbed into the car and fixed my gaze out of the window to avoid his piercing stare."We should go back to the mansion, Alan must be worried about us."I said."Okay.
Dylan POV The warm water cascaded over me and washed away the drowsiness but the memories of last night clung to me. Even a blink takes me back to her room, her face appears again. *** Flashback I was restless and couldn't sleep. Just because Ashely was just a wall away. She was too close, yet impossibly far. I resist the urge to see her, fighting a battle within me. I finally made up my mind and walked to her room. She lay asleep on her bed. The soft glow of moonlight illuminated her skin. A purple satin gown clung to her body and outlined the curves that haunted my dream. I knelt beside her hesitatingly and reached her for her face. My fingers brushed her cheeks. She stirred slightly. My thumb ran across her lips, the kiss we had in the evening felt the same as eleven years before. Her lips tasted sweet and juicy, I clenched her waist tightly so that I was scared I might hurt her. I couldn't control myself and brought my face close to her. But then I recalled
Ashley POVAs I descended the stairs, Dylan's gaze locked into me as if the rest of the world didn't exist for him. His expression held something intense. Almost predatoryA nudge from an elderly woman beside him pulled him back to reality. "Go and get her." She whispered. She must be his grandma. He is the only person in his family and also his most lovable person. Without hesitation, Dylan approached me. His confidence was outstanding.I was still on the last two stairs when he held my hand firmly. He helped me step down the remaining stairs."You're late.” His voice was still rough. His hands lingered on mine. “Everyone is waiting." I braced myself. I expected a single compliment from him but his arrogant ass won't let him do that. Yesterday at the same time he was kissing me and now I am engaged to him, what's next? Marriage or honeymoon? I really couldn't understand where my life was going.He gripped my waist as we walked to the stage. Everyone's eyes stuck on us. I could
Ashley POVHe bent on his knees and checked the pulse of that hired killer. He was disappointed when he found the killer was already dead. Dylan took that goon's mask off and dug out his phone out of his pocket. He took some photos of that person with his phone. He sent it to Fred but as we were in a deep jungle, the network was lost. "You killed him.." I said with a trembling voice. Dylan nodded as he threw the dagger aside. "Yeah, I know I shouldn't. We needed to keep him alive. At least he would have confessed who sent him." Dylan said. "But no problem, Fred would find which gang he belong to. He seemed professional gang member." "I know that. He was the one who attacked us when we left the painting exhibition." I said. His face darkened at my words. He stood up and started walking. "Let's go somewhere else. Fred will take care of it in the morning." Dylan spoke as if it was a routine for him. I felt almost puking at the metallic smell of the blood that started lingering in th
Ashley POVHis face turned colder, he was more like a giant iceberg placed in the room. I held my bag and got ready to leave. His eyes gave me different and scary vibes, more like he could ruin me at any moment. Better I leave this place before he does anything. As soon as I moved, I bumped into his chest. I was startled, just a moment before he was sitting on the chair and another moment he was standing in my way. "Where are you going? We have not finished the mediation yet." He blocked my path. His eyes glared at me with an intense gaze that was almost ready to pierce my skin. "I don't think we will come to any conclusion now. Let the lawsuit go ahead." I said as I finished gathering my stuff from the wooden desk. I noticed he was not even listening to me, his eyes were on my lips. Seemed he was controlling himself to kiss me. His hands were inside his pockets, and he stood in the courtroom as if he owned that place."Why did you leave last evening? Didn’t I ask you to stay unt
"What is this? Are you insane?" I yelled at him. "I came here to talk to you about the lawsuit about not getting tattooed." I blabbered. "It's you who think throwing the ring would end everything between us." Dylan took my finger in his hand and started carving in my skin. "Dylan.." I almost cried out, but he didn't flinch. He kept drawing something with that tattoo pen on my ring finger. It didn't hurt but I screamed and tried hard to snatch my hand away from him."Bear it for a while, princess. It's painless tattoo ink, it will just tingle like an ant bite." He said. In a short while he released my hand. "It's done." I stared at his art and was stunned. "Are you crazy.." I tried hard to rub it but it was of no use. Now his name is carved on my finger. "Now dare to take this ring off." He said as he dropped the pen back into the drawer. "It's another way to tell any Tom, dick and Harry that you are mine. No one can dare to put their eyes on you whenever they want." He claimed p
Ashley POV"Send the next candidate." I said, and rubbed my forehead. It was five in the evening and I finished the interview of seventy girls. I found five of them very productive and talented that we need them in this department."Madam, you are just wasting your time on them." Mr. Silver came and tried to convince me. "You are only able to choose five after three days of tiring interview." "Mr. Silver, these five newcomers are better than employees who have been working in our company for several years. They are trained with new softwares and they can handle the technology better than them." I stated. Mr. Silver's face turned bitter as if he could not digest everything I said. "I have given my two decades to this factory. I knew it better than anyone."He stated arrogantly."Shall I hold you responsible for its decline then?" I asked him. His face turned a little annoyed because I didn't take his advice even being a senior officer. He didn't say anything but walked out of the cab
Dylan POV"Why would I marry an orphan like you? What if you are the product of rape?" Her words stabbed into my heart like a sharp dagger. How disgusting it felt when that cursed line fell out of her mouth. I never mind if the world said this about me, but Ashley.Why did it happen? She was the one who fought for me when people blamed my blood. She said it never mattered if I had no family, she called herself my family, my home. I poured the drink into a glass and drank it again. I wanted to forget everything that happened that day. I wanted to assume that this day had not come but the more I was drunk, the more everything flashed before my eyes. The moment we shared was a dream, she was in my arms, but then everything shattered. "Boss, you are drinking too much. You shouldn't drink more." Fred grabbed my hand and tried to stop me. But I snatched the glass back and shot him a glare."Shut up. You are not a boss here. I would kick you out if you did this again." I poured the whis
Dylan stared at me with surprise, as I brought the glass closer to his mouth. He grabbed my wrist and stopped me. "What happened?" My gaze met his suspicious eyes. "Do you think I mixed something in it?" I asked. He leaned closer to me, and whispered in my ears."I would love to drink poison when you are serving me it." He said as he held the wine glass in his hand. He brought it closer to my mouth. I stared at him with a puzzled face."You are really thinking I poisoned it." I said and sipped it in front of him. Dylan instantly geabbed my neck from behind and tucked his mouth to mine.He sucked all the wine from my mouth, My eyes wide opened. He released my mouth as soon as he finished."Ahhh... It feels tastier when I drink it with your mouth." He said, I smiled and fed the drink with my mouth. He grabbed a wine bottle in his hand and poured it over my lips. The wine juice dripped down through my lips to my neck and streamed down between my cleavage. "Ahhh.." The cold wine runni
Ashley POVI took my stuff to the car and drove myself to the factory in Southport. Shina transferred me to one of the oldest factories, whose production was low but maintenance was too bad. Hardly any air conditioner working there. I thought of giving a resignation, but I didn’t want to look like a coward who ran away from the problem. It’s better that I face it and I would definitely improve this factory. When I arrived at the office, I found no female workers were around. There were mainly middle-aged men who worked for more than decades. No wonder the productivity was extremely low here.They all stood and greeted me."You may sit down.." I gestured and went to the cabin. I quickly called the Manager of the industrial department. He entered, and I heard he was a middle-aged misogynist person who thinks women are no better at industrial processes. "Mr. Silver. Why are there no females in the office?" I asked him, He scratched his forehead. I stared at him with a suspicious gaze
Ashley POV"Doctor, how is Grandma? Is she getting better?" Dylan rushed to the doctor immediately. "The surgery is successful. But we need to keep her in observation, she is out of danger for now." Doctor said, "Thank you, doctor," Dylan said and wiped his face. It looked like a heavy burden was lifted from his heart. He seemed relieved and better. I held his hand. Dylan turned to me and hugged me tightly. "Thank god!" He muttered, "She would be walking in a few days. Don't you worry about it?" I said, He went to the glass window and watched Grandma lying on the bed. She was surrounded by heavy equipment and looked extremely weak. "Do you know it was her who accepted an orphan like me in the Marcov family? Everyone was against her but she accepted me anyway. She never let me feel that I was adopted. She loved me wholeheartedly." Dylan spoke, I rested my hand on his shoulder. I realised why Grandma meant him so much. He values the people who were with him when he had nothing.
“Dylan will marry her." I heard a voice from behind, I was stunned by those words. My brows raised. It was Grandma Marcov who walked into the chaos while holding her stick. She looked sick and older than before. Ira grabbed her arms and led her way. "Grandma, what are you talking about?" Dylan walked ahead, he clearly did not agree with his grandma. "How can I marry her? Everyone knows whom I love" Dylan glared at me proudly.The way he spoke now, He didn't believe in the chaos that was happening in the Markov mansion right now. Even he didn't fall for the crocodile tears of Shina. Grandma stared at me with annoyed eyes. She looked pissed over something. I didn't see this hate in her eyes before. It was strange like something might have happened to her."For her benefit, she pushed Ashley into the rape. Such a woman is better not to take the position of daughter-in-law of Marcov." Grandma pointed at me, with gritted teeth. Her eyes carried hatred. "Grandma tried to understand. I d