Ashleigh smiled and replied, “Thank you.” Alana then grabbed Cameron’s hand, signaled to the others at the back, and turned to leave. Samantha and Diane didn’t miss the chance to shoot her fierce looks as they departed, and soon after, the rest followed suit. The guy from earlier, along with other students from Ashleigh’s row, gathered around her once the classroom had emptied. She looked at them in confusion. “Ashleigh, why did you do that?” the boys questioned, their frustration evident. “Their work was incorrect, and I merely pointed it out to the professor,” she explained, which only seemed to heighten his frustration. “I know that! But why did you handle it like that? You could have simply met with the professor privately and explained your observations. Instead, you did it publicly. You’ve attracted Alana’s attention, and this is the first time someone has scored higher than her. Now, she’s in last place. Don’t you see the issue?” he countered, and Ashleigh narrowed her
The next morning, Ashleigh awoke to the sound of phone buzzing as Professor Patel announced the final scores for the test. Alana and her group had landed in second-to-last place, a position that, to Ashleigh, seemed like a small victory—at least they hadn’t come in last. When she saw her own workbook posted with Professor Patel's notes and explanations, a smile spread across her face. It was a great start to the day, though she was blissfully unaware of the challenges awaiting her.The day before, Alana had returned home in a state of mortification. She couldn’t believe she had overlooked such a crucial detail in her work, and the public correction had stung deeply. Cameron’s argument had only intensified the humiliation, making it seem as if she was unable to admit her faults. That night, while tossing and turning, Alana plotted her revenge. She couldn’t stand the thought of anyone besting her without consequence. Ashleigh, in particular, was her target. As she watched Ashleigh enter
“Alana's family closely mirrors mine, but with a far broader network. Her grandfather served as the vice chancellor of the college in his early days and later became a major benefactor to the institution. Several buildings on campus bear his name, including the cafeteria where we currently sat. Her influence in Robin extends widely; she could easily make or break your career if she chose to." Damien leaned in as he spoke, and his two friends nodded in agreement."Moreover, she's in a high social position and has been mingling with the student body. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve heard of you since you arrived... Ashleigh, what did you say your last name was again?" Arthur interjected, his tone slightly condescending. Ashleigh felt her ears grow warm with embarrassment."Hartman. Not that it matters. I don’t think she'd go that far over a failed question," Ashleigh replied, trying to sound dismissive, but her words were met with unblinking stares.“If you say so. I’m just giving you
Ashleigh walked away from the previous day's events without realizing that by the next morning, she would be the talk of the department. It was Saturday morning, and Ashleigh had planned to sleep in, enjoying a rare weekend of rest. However, she was roused from her slumber by the persistent ringing of her phone, which vibrated against her bed. Groggily, she reached out in the direction of the phone, still half-asleep, and picked it up, eyes closed.“What?” she groaned as she answered the call, placing it against her ear.“What did you do yesterday in class?” the voice on the other end asked. Ashleigh squinted, trying to place the caller's identity.“Sorry, who is this?” she asked, her confusion evident.“Damien. Does that ring a bell? Anyway, back to my question—what happened in class yesterday?” Damien asked, his tone urging her for an answer.“Nothing much. Why do you keep asking about this, Damien?” Ashleigh replied, trying to recall if something unusual had occurred in class.“Bec
“I told you clearly that we’re going to the club tonight. Why did you dress like it’s a picnic at home?” Arthur asked, his gaze fixed on her through the side mirror. “This is what I had... is it that bad?” she replied defensively, and Arthur rolled his eyes in response. “Haven’t you been to the club, Ashleigh?” he questioned. She shook her head cluelessly. “Are you surprised, Arthur? Ashleigh uses the bus to get around, so don’t expect much from her,” Damien interjected, his eyes fixed on the road as he drove. Arthur turned to look at Ashleigh and shook his head in disappointment. “Enough said... drive on, Damien,” he said, holding his hand up in silent disapproval as he flopped back dramatically into his seat. Soon enough, they arrived at a private department store. Arthur showed his membership card, and they entered the store. He went straight to business, while Ashleigh followed behind him with the store attendants, and Damien sat on a couch to wait. Arthur selected a few opti
Ashleigh’s heart pounded as she sprinted through the dimly lit underground parking lot, her breath coming in sharp gasps. She’d seen Megan and those two guys earlier; they had been leaving the building just before her. Now, the parking lot was deserted. Ashleigh glanced around anxiously, trying to piece together the sequence of events. As she exited the lot and headed toward the street, her mind raced with fear.“Why can’t I find them?” she muttered to herself, her voice trembling. “It was only a minute between when they left and when I followed.” She scanned the alleyways adjacent to the building, each darkened passage holding only eerie silence.As she reached the third alley, a chilling sound pierced the quiet—cries of distress. Ashleigh’s pulse quickened. She peered into the dimly lit alley and her stomach dropped. There was Megan, pinned against the wall by the two men from earlier. One man held Megan’s arms forcefully against the wall, while the other was lifting her gown. The s
“This is not Megan, sir. This is Ashleigh Hartman. Megan’s currently in the hospital.” The gentle yet firm voice cut through the room, casting a palpable heaviness in the air. Mr. Turner swallowed hard, his gaze flicking nervously from the terrified assistant to his boss, who glared darkly at the phone. The tension in the room seemed to intensify with each passing second. Earlier... After their heated argument, Adrian had retreated to Italy, seeking solace in his mother’s company and the familiar rhythm of business at Cagliari Industries. The trip was intended to be a period of both personal and professional reflection. It offered him a chance to delve into Ashleigh’s background, to sift through her family’s history and their business dealings. Adrian reminded himself that his primary goal for marrying Ashleigh was to further his own ambitions. Her feelings, whatever they might be, were merely a means to an end. He resolutely chose not to address her probing questions about his emo
As the sun began its ascent, its warm rays crept through the ward room's window, casting a soft glow over the space. Ashleigh, nestled on the couch, stirred awake. The couch had been uncomfortable the night before, but fatigue had dulled her discomfort, making it tolerable. Megan, however, was just beginning to rouse from a fitful sleep. Confusion clouded her mind at first. She glanced around the unfamiliar hospital room, her heart racing with a blend of fear and disorientation. It took a moment for reality to sink in, and when it did, she was overwhelmed by the memories of the previous night. Her skin crawled as she recalled the disturbing incidents where the men from the party had invaded her personal space. Silent tears streamed down her face as she lay there, trying to process her trauma.The muffled sound of Megan's distress woke Ashleigh. She bolted upright, concern etched on her face as she rushed to Megan's bedside. "What happened, Megan? Are you in pain? Should I call the do
Ashleigh adjusted the strap of her bag as she walked into her department, trying to keep her shoulders straight and her head high despite her nerves. Stiil, the buzz that erupted as she entered the class told her the news had already spread farther than she expected. The article Arthur sent this morning was now the latest buzz on campus.HOT: Ashleigh Hartman Spotted on Campus Yesterday with Security Detail! Click Here to Read the Full Article…The headline still echoed in her mind, she was unable to think of anything else after she finished reading it. Her heart pounded harder with every scroll as photos of her arrival, a blurry video of Tristan and Jake flanking her near the hostel. They speculated about her “wealthy sponsor”, giving theories about why she suddenly had so much security when she'd gone unnoticed in the first few weeks on campus. One paragraph even hinted that she was in “protective custody,” though it didn’t say what reason.Although the article didn’t mention Ad
Ashleigh stepped through the hostel doors in a haze. Her body was here, but her mind was still trapped in the car that had sped off minutes earlier. The way Adrian kissed her… it felt like he wanted to take a piece of her soul with him. She had to use practically all of her willpower to claw her way out of his arms and make it here. As much as she loved the thrill of his touch, she hoped this wouldn’t become his new way of negotiating with her because she wasn’t sure how far he’d want her to go next time.“Miss!” the hostel manager called out, snapping her back to reality. She looked to see Miss Maisie and Mrs. Johnson eyeing her with a curt smile, their eyes showing mild concern.“I-I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked.Miss Maisie waved her hand gently. “We were just asking if you feel better Miss Hartman, we were informed of your departure due to illness” “I’m better now, thank you.”“Good.” Mrs. Johnson said, taking a seat behind the computer. “ We’ll begin the check-in proc
As the sleek black sedan rolled to a slow stop in front of the administrative building, Ashleigh shifted uneasily in her seat. Her fingers clutched her bag a little tighter as she caught sight of students bustling past. She wasn’t sure which made her more uncomfortable: the imposing car she’d arrived in or the man beside her who had refused to leave her side since the other night.Adrian sat calm and collected, his expression unreadable as he reviewed documents with Mr. Turner seated in front. The two men discussed what seemed to be logistics campus security for her as if it were just another business transaction.Ashleigh gave him a sidelong glance, her jaw tightening. Although she had some reservations, everything about this moment still felt surreal to her. She wasn’t just coming to college like she stormed out the mansion two months ago, she was returning with Adrian by her side, and under his protection…. no matter how overwhelming it was at the moment. She turned her face towa
“You said what? The stalker has been sending you messages?”Ashleigh’s froze as Adrian nodded with a grim expression. He turned the laptop to her, showing a glowing map of with scattered with glowing red dots across various regions.“ While I was in Italy, I had my private investigation team has been trace the message activity from your phone.” he explained, his voice low. “They have also monitored my messages as well. The patterns are much clearer now.”A chill ran down Ashleigh’s spine as her eyes scanned the map. Her college dorm,the library, the restaurant where she met Arthur, even the mansion were all marked.He clicked another window, and a black screen appeared with several lines of encrypted codes came up. “The last message was traced to Italy, and it has been confirmed this evening that the stalker is connected to an old Italian mafia organization.”Ashleigh’s brows furrowed, her pulse quickening. “Mafia?” she repeated, almost dumbfounded.Adrian’s next words were slower, h
The confidence Ashleigh had when she ordered Mr. Atkinson to get the driver fizzled as the Tixton building loomed ahead. Her palms were clammy, and her heart pounded unreasonably fast.What exactly was she doing? What was she going to say? She had no plan.....only a widening pit in her stomach and a need to see Adrian that wouldn’t stop growing no matter how she tried to crush it.One more mistake and she’d look desperate.She grimaced in the back seat, chewing her bottom lip before pulling out her phone in a panic.Ashleigh: HELP, I’m panicking!! He wasn’t home, so I’m going to his office. I think I’ve lost my mind.She stared at the screen like her life depended on it, tapping her fingers against her thigh until Arthur's three dots appeared.Arthur: OMG girl😯! Didn’t know you had it in you to make a move so fast.... proud of you😉Ashleigh: Not a move. A disaster in motion. What do I even say to him? I’m shaking😭😭Arthur: First off, breathe. Second... isn’t it still the weekend?
After Fiona and James left, Ashleigh had spent the whole Saturday devising possible ways to get Adrian’s attention. But each suggestion only made her realize how unmatched she was against a woman like Caelia. Though Arthur left her that evening with words of encouragement her heart remained heavy…. and her aunt took notice. The next morning, Mrs. Smith insisted on driving Ashleigh home herself, sending the driver back to his quarters for extra rest. Ashleigh was surprised to learn her aunt could drive but agreed anyway. Whilst Mrs. Smith maneuvered the car with ease, Ashleigh remained glued to her phone, glaring at a particular message— or rather, the lack of a response from Adrian.“He really knows how to make me feel shitty, doesn’t he?” she muttered as she saw her message marked as read.“What’s the matter, dream girl? Why so angry at your phone?” Mrs. Smith's voice broke through her thoughts. She glanced at Ashleigh before returning her focus to the road.Ashleigh quickly shoved
The drive back to the Cagliari mansion was silent, but Adrian’s mind was anything but that.Megan’s words echoed in his mind, chipping at his indifference. Now, he fully understood how isolated Ashleigh had been at Robin College. Megan’s confession about her indifference stung, but he held back his anger— out of respect for Alexander, yes, but also because he knew that the main fault was with him. Ashleigh won’t be so affected by Megan’s treatment if he had been by her side. The realization gnawed at him. The car pulled into the driveway and he stepped out with purposeful strides. Mr Atkinson approached him with a slight bow, and he nodded in acknowledgement.“Welcome home sir. Any instructions for this evening? Will you be having dinner?”Adrian shook his head, replying curtly. “I won’t be having dinner tonight. I don’t want to be disturbed.”Mr. Atkinson nodded but hesitated before speaking again. “Sir, should I inform the kitchen about Mrs. Cagliari’s return tomorrow morning as we
“Adrian! To what do I owe the pleasure or displeasure?” Alexander greeted, arching a brow as he leaned against the doorframe. Adrian didn’t bother with a response, pushing past him into the mansion. He wasn’t here for pleasantries.After reviewing the results of the investigation into Ashleigh’s supposed stalker, Adrian had been forced to acknowledge something that Ashleigh had been telling the truth, and he had never truly paid attention to her struggles. That realization led him here, to the one person who had spent the most time with her at school.He needed answers.“Babe, where are……oh.” Megan’s voice trailed off as she entered the room, stopping short when she saw Adrian standing beside Alexander.Her eyes flickered between them, uncertain. Alexander casually draped an arm around her waist in a grounding gesture.“Babe, this is my friend Adrian—the one I told you about,” Alexander said. Recognition flashed in Megan’s eyes.“Oh… hi. Nice to meet you.” Her voice was polite, but t
The night was supposed to fun- a light-hearted escape from the stress of college and her marriage. But for Ashleigh, it was anything but that.While her friends lay passed out in their sleeping bags under, she sat on the couch staring at the empty bottles of wine on the coffee table, unable to sleep. No matter how hard she tried to distract herself, her thoughts kept circling back to Adrian and Caelia. The image from the article burned in her mind: the way they stood together, the warm smile on her face as she held him closely….. They looked perfect. They looked like the kind of couple Adrian and she were not.“Why should I care? It’s not like we were a real couple anyway” she thought bitterly, reaching for another bottle of wine.And yet, as she gulped it down, the bitterness in her chest remained…. Unwilling to leave. The more she thought about it, the more the pieces started to fit. A part of her felt cheated, her thoughts racing as she pieced everything together. His reluctance to