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Chapter 81

last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-01-07 03:06:34

The air in the room was less frigid now, but Ashleigh could not help but still feel hot inside. Her heart was literally racing as she saw that the distance between her and Adrian was almost nonexistent, and not only were they physically close but now they were emotionally close as well. Adrian who was oblivious to her thoughts was deep in conversation with someone on the phone about her college case, and he only looked at her from time to time.

A knock at the door disrupted her spiraling thoughts. Mr. Atkinson entered, carrying a tray of food, followed by Susan, who carried water and a small dish containing her medication. Susan's eyes lit up when she saw Ashleigh sitting up, her usual warmth battling a nervous tension. Ashleigh instantly knew Adrian had been intimidating her again.

“Mrs. Cagliari,” Susan greeted softly, her voice tinged with hesitance.

“Susan,” Ashleigh said, reaching out to gently grab her hand. “Are you okay?”

Susan hesitated, casting a wary glance at Adrian, who c
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  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 82

    “Funny how you were so quick to leave last night, but you’re here now" Adrian mused casually, leaning against the closet, as Ashleigh placed the rest of her things in his closet.She paused mid-fold, her hands freezing momentarily before returning like nothing happened. She expected his words, yet it still managed to tug at her heart.“Just shut it, Adrian.” Ashleigh snapped instead, her voice sharp and defensive as she shot him a scowl over her shoulder.Adrian chuckled lowly, amused by her reaction. Although the situation was not ideal, he couldn’t hide his appreciation for the perpetrator, as it now brought Ashleigh to his side. And now, she will not be able to leave even if she wanted to. Once Ashleigh was done, she closed it and walked toward the center of the wide room, taking in it’s aesthetic. Unlike her room which was filled with lighter colors, and personal touches, Adrian used deep tones and neutral colored paintings and furniture. The room was also less decorated than Ashl

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-22
  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 83

    Ashleigh arrived at the dinner table, a rare giddy smile lighting up her face. For the first time in weeks, she felt like her life was falling back into place. Her conversation with Arthur had gone smoothly—he was relieved to hear she was safe and suggested they meet to discuss things in depth. She had agreed without hesitation. Yet, as she settled into her chair, her thoughts wandered to Adrian. Now came the hard part: convincing Adrian.Her heart sank slightly at the thought. She hadn’t seen him anywhere in the house since the call, which probably meant he was out for business. Good—she needed time to plan her approach.“Mrs. Ashleigh, you seem to be in a good mood,” Susan observed, interrupting her thoughts. Her assistant stood beside Chef Larry, helping him place steaming dishes on the table.“Yes" Ashleigh declared with a grin, sliding into her chair. “I am in a good mood”“I am beginning to feel like myself once again” she added, and Susan a

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-23
  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 84

    The room was drenched in darkness, save for the flicker of a single bare bulb overhead. The silence was broken by the shuffling of chains and the faint drip of water pooling somewhere unseen. Tristan and Jake knelt behind the iron bars, their once-proud postures now bent with shame and fear. Adrian sat in the corner, cloaked in shadow. His piercing gaze cut through the dim light, fixed on the two men who had failed him. His fingers drummed against the armrest of his chair, the rhythmic tapping the only sound besides their labored breaths.“Boss, please,” Tristan started, his voice hoarse. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, evidence of the earlier punishment. “We didn’t expect the attack to happen then. We—”“You didn’t expect,” Adrian interrupted softly, his voice calm but laced with menace. “That’s the problem, isn’t it?” Jake flinched, his trembling hands gripping the bars.“We’re sorry, sir. We’ll make it right. Just give us another chance.” Adrian rose slowly, his impo

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-28
  • My Contract Love Story    chapter 85

    Ashleigh felt the world around her blur into silence. The café, once a warm haven of familiar scents and quiet chatter, now felt suffocating. Across the table, three sets of eyes burned into her—Fiona’s sharp, unwavering stare, James’s disapproving frown, and Arthur’s cool, assessing gaze. The weight of their scrutiny made her throat tighten, but the real pressure came from the phone resting on her lap, as heavy as a brick. Adrian’s name glowed on the screen, his text burning into her mind. Why aren’t you responding? I hope you haven’t lied to me again. Her fingers curled tightly around her phone, flipping it facedown before anyone noticed. But Arthur did. “Who was that?” His voice was neutral, but there was something unreadable in his expression, something sharp. “No one important,” she answered too quickly. His eyes narrowed. “Still lying, Ashleigh?” He let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head as he leaned back. “You’re insufferable.” Ashleigh swallowed, her grip tightening on he

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-03
  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 86

    Ashleigh barely noticed her hand trembling until Susan spoke up.“Miss you’re trembling, are you okay?” Her gaze dropped from the scenery outside to the car seat where her hands quivered. She clenched them into fists, forcing herself to take deep slow even breaths.“I’m fine, Susan.” She mumured lowly, willing herself to believe herself to believe it was true.But she wasn’t fine. Not after what happened at the cafe. Meeting James and Fiona unexpectedly disrupted all she had planned to discuss with Arthur, and left her with more built than clarity. And there was Adrian, who’s texts drew more suspicions due to her actions. It seemed to her that it was on purpose, and her jaw tightened as they pulled into the Cagliari mansion.He was going to answer for it.Ashleigh stepped out of the car and walked into the mansion burning with frustration. She was ready to confront Adrian, until she saw who was sitting beside him.She stopped in her tracks. “No way.......”A sharp, knowing grin stret

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-10
  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 87

    The weight of the day’s task pressed against Ashleigh’s chest as she sat at the dining table, dulling her appetite. Her mind churned with everything she needed to do today—tracking down the perfumer before her panel meeting tomorrow, smoothing things over with Arthur, Fiona, and James. She needed their support now more than ever. Beau on the other hand, was carefree as ever. He hummed under his breath, tapping his fingers idly against his plate as he ate. “Babygirl, you’ve barely touched your food.” He commented, and Ashleigh looked up to find him and Susan both watching her with concern. Ashleigh clenched her fork and stabbed a piece of pancake, exhaling sharply. “I can’t eat right now. There’s too much on my mind.” Susan stepped forward, likely about to insist she eat, but Ashleigh raised a hand to stop her. “Don’t bother, Susan. I’m not eating until we get that person.” Susan hesitated before stepping back, defeated. Ashleigh turned to Beau, bringing her glass to her li

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-21
  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 88

    Ashleigh stepped out of the car and Beau followed suit, looping his hand around hers with a witty grin.“Are you ready to put on a show?”She exhaled lightly, gazing at the Gold card in her palms. The weight of it felt heavier than it should but she didn’t hesitate. If Adrian wanted to meddle in her world, he ought to feel the consequences.She slipped the card into her clutch and met Beau’s gaze, her expression cool.“Let’s make this count.”Beau chuckled, sliding on a pair of designer sunglasses. “Now you’re speaking my language."They walked in through the glass door being held by a door man and the minute they stepped in, the atmosphere shifted. The boutique dripped elegance as walls were decked with paintings and high ranking celebrity autographs and perfumes were presented like a work of art. The air was filled with various exotic fragrances as a few customers milled around quietly testing the scents andAshleigh immediately understood what Beau meant.A woman in a sleek black

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22
  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 89

    The evening skyline burned with hues of orange and gold as a black SUV wove through the city’s traffic. Inside, Adrian flicked his gaze to his watch, then to the black envelope resting between his fingers. The insignia embossed on it caught the dim light, a silent reminder of the night’s purpose. Mr. Turner sat in front, assisting the driver in navigating towards the hotel.A low vibration from the phone interrupted the quiet, and he handed it over to Adrian."Mr. Cagliari, how is everything going?" Beau’s voice came through the speaker. Adrian exhaled, his tone smooth but unimpressed. “I’ll update you when I get there. I’m still en route.”Beau huffed. “Ashleigh and I went through a lot to get that card into your hands, so kindly make it worthwhile, sir.”Adrian’s fingers traced the insignia on the card, recalling the bank’s call from earlier. A smirk flickered across his face. “Must’ve been quite the ordeal. The bank took notice, after all.”“Oh, it was,” Beau replied. “Your wife s

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28

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  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 102

    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

  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 101

    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

  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 100

    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

  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 99

    “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

  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 98

    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?

  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 97

    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

  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 96

    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

  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 95

    “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

  • My Contract Love Story    Chapter 94

    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

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