Ashley POVThe noise outside drew us out of the room. As I stepped out, I was shocked to see Alex being stopped by Dylan's bodyguard."Let me go inside! Do you know who I am?" Alex threatened Fred, but Fred didn't even move. He seemed loyal to his master, Dylan, and was only waiting for his unspoken command. Dylan's mere nod made him release Alex's hand."Alex, why are you making such a scene?" I demanded. I was frustrated. There were still many things I wanted to discuss with Mr. Dylan, and any interruption was the last thing I expected.“And what are you doing here with Mr. Dylan?” Alex countered, his face darkened with suspicion. “And that too, alone?”“That’s none of your business,” I replied while Folding my arms tightly across my chest. “We’ve been divorced for six months now. You’re engaged to Vini, remember Alex? Maybe focus on her instead of me.”"What happened?" Alan appeared, his brows arching in surprise as he took in the tense scene: Alex, Dylan, and me—a precarious trian
The file felt heavy as it weighed on my new responsibility. Dylan Marcov's name seemed to jump off the page in bold, commanding letters. As I began reading it, my eyes widened in disbelief. Three hundred billion. It was one of the largest deals I’d ever heard of, perhaps one of the biggest in the history of our business."Why is this deal still pending?" I demanded while glancing at Lucy. The proposal had been made over a year ago, yet there hadn’t been any movement."They have not accepted yet. Perhaps we got a silent rejection," Lucy replied in a low tone, implying it was unlikely to be accepted.I had heard about Dylan Marcov from Alan and seen his name all over the internet—described as a ruthless, selfish man with no room for kindness. But I felt a little kindness in his heart when I was in the hospital. The challenge seemed immense, but not impossible."I have decided. I will secure this contract," I said, and Lucy's eyes widened. I could almost hear the unspoken mockery in her
My mind screamed at his womanizer image. The way his intense gaze traced over me, my skin like a flame. Even though he appeared calm, I could feel the heat radiating from him. He had already trampled my private space. I pushed him back with my hand."Sorry, Mr. Dylan. But I’m not the kind of girl who jumps into bed for a deal. I’m a woman with dignity," I stated firmly.His eyes narrowed as a flicker of disappointment crossed his face."No one has ever dared to touch me, let alone push me." He stared at my palms with a sharp gaze. Even though he appeared scary, I still resisted. Perhaps he thought I was the kind of woman who would throw herself at anyone just because I married Alex. But he was wrong. He stared at me closely, as if he were trying to find something hidden beneath my defiance."Miss Ashley, nothing in this world comes for free. I don’t engage in anything that doesn’t profit me. And considering your company’s current situation..." He continued, sliding the paper across th
As Alan went for the test drive, I excused myself to the restroom. When I stepped out, Vini was already standing in front of me.Her gaze immediately fixed on the sapphire bangle around my wrist. Her eyes widened as if she recognised it."It's Weber's ancient bangle, isn't it? How did Grandpa give it to you?" she demanded. Clenched her teeth.Grandpa had handed it to me right after the party ended, and I decided to wear it today. Who knew I would bump Vini here?"Why? What's your problem?" I asked her, squitting my eyes. "It looks better isn't it." I fixed it and was ready to make my exit. Vini grabbed my hand and tried to yank the bracelet off. "Give it to me. It's mine. You can't have it. I deserve it," she hissed. Her fingers dug into my skin.I pushed her, my head began aching. She troubled me so much already, including my miscarriage. Even though it was an accident, for some reason I didn't want to see her face. "You think you can have a legacy of Weber just by climbing onto me
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 e
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