Ashley stood as soon as she was called. She did not notice how Dylan turned pale beside her when he saw Talia—whom he deemed as Jaxon’s mistress—entered the audition room with Amanda Serv. It turned out that #011 was Amanda and she was there to accompany her friend. And Ashley, who was #012, also walked behind the two. Dylan was torn in between wanting to accompany Ashley inside the audition room or wait for her outside the audition room.
In the end, Ashley did not give Dylan the chance to choose. She went straight into the audition room with her confident strides and her chin held high. Her every move did not show any fear or timidity but she also did not show any over confidence.
As soon as Ashley entered the audition room, the familiar setting welcomed her. Only this time, a young handsome man was seated at the center of the long table—it was the secret billionaire Director Helian. For a moment, they eyes met. For
The contract was immediately decided by Director Helian’s team and Dylan as Ashley’s representative. From the start, Dylan felt he was walking on cloud nine! Although he had already seen the astonishing improvement of Ashley’s acting, this one still gave him a blow.The raw emotions in that short cut scene were so palpable that he even was momentarily in daze like all others in the audition room. In their hearts, whether they wanted to accept it or not, they knew that Zia was tailor made for Ashley or Ashley was tailor made for Zia.Either way, Ashley secured her third work in this year and Dylan pinched his thighs repeatedly.Amanda Serv walked to Ashley with a smile. “I want to learn from you so I can only audition for the female lead role. Wish me luck!” There was no hint of malice from the beginning even when Ashley was performing. Instead, Amanda, who was dedicated to the art of acting,
“There will be a dinner party later, you should stay first.” Director Morgan smiled to Ashley. The last scene for Ashley was done in one take, making Director Morgan reevaluate Ashley. Despite the rumors circulating around Ashley, Director Morgan was sure that Ashley was like a pearl covered in dust before. Now, she was shining more than ever.Ashley, who was done packing her things, nodded. She stretched her hand for a handshake. “Thank you for all your care, Director Morgan. Don’t forget me if you have good scripts.” Winking at the Director for her joke, she laughed lightly.Director Morgan laughed as well. She really liked Ashley’s professional ethics and wit which were rare in the budding actresses and actors these days. She answered Ashley’s joke with affirmation, intending to list Ashley as one of her priorities in choosing candidates for her future scripts.When Ashley was
Arriving at the hospital noted by Nexus, Ashley let a nurse guide her to a private single ward. Without knocking the door, she opened it and entered swiftly. Her footsteps were not hurried and her eyes were calm as a still lake—but only Ashley knew what kind of monster was hiding deep within.Indeed. During these hours, the nanny and assistant of Talia were not with her. It’s been two days since her last call with Talia, prompting the latter to have a small heart attack. Ashley admitted that she was disappointed when she heard from Nexus that it was only a ‘small’ heart attack. It only proved one of Ashley’s conjectures that… it would take a hundred years to kill a scourge.Now, here she was—visiting a patient.Ashley sat on the chair next to Talia’s bed where she was sleeping right now, of course. Then, she placed the basket of apples and tangerines on the table next to t
Since her acting skill was publicized, although it was only a clip, many were intrigued to this new kind of Ashley. The Unmasked crew and Director Sloan used this momentum she was having all over the internet to drop the poster of the movie followed by the snippets and clips of the trailer.As one of the characters of the Unmasked movie, Ashley was also tagged by the official post of Director Sloan and the producer’s media account.[@UnmaskedOfficial: A movie fit for the family to watch? A movie for all ages? Director Sloan’s new work of art will release its official trailer tomorrow 12 PM! @Sloan @ChoWen @ATASHA @ASHLEY *attached image of the Unmasked poster*]It was a very timely announcement right when people were curious about Ashley’s so-called improvement in her acting. With this, the presales of the movie skyrocketed, making the Unmasked crew beam with joy.Ashley, who was fa
Heavy and large steps, Ashley crossed the distance between her and Nanny Doris. She held her trembling shoulders and shook it lightly as she asked in a hoarse voice. “Where’s my son?”The same hospital. The same hallway. The same looks of people surrounding her. Everything overlapped with that wretched day when she lost what she treasured the most but realized it too late.Her head was buzzing. Her vision seemed as if everything was focused on the ground she was walking on while everything else was nothing but blurry images. And she felt as if her skin was as cold as winter ice even when her sweat seemed to drench the back of her blouse.The hallway she treaded through felt like an endless spiral staircase with no end in sight while the walls seemed to squash her in between, leaving her breathless.Ashley did not know how a seemingly ordinary day could turn something like a nightmar
“Ashley, I am talking to you.”Ashley’s jaws tightened. She closed her eyes for a moment to calm her raging anger before she opened them as if nothing had happened. She did not look back to look at him when she answered: “You don’t even have the rights to ask anything about my son right now, you know. So shut up and don’t wake him up.”Silence answered Ashley. For her, this was not the right place for them to have some tit for tat. For once, they should put Scottie before anything—before any animosity. At least not now…Jaxon seemed to understand Ashley’s train of thoughts. He took the chair next to Ashley, his solemn eyes pinned on his son. Despite this, no one could see what was inside his complex mind. And Ashley did not want to know either.The quasi couple spent almost an hour without a word between them. While Ashley was solely focuse
Not minding the sharp gaze pinned on her for a split second, Ashley merely smiled sweetly at him before she looked away and said ânextâ, waiting for the next question to be thrown at her. According to the number of questions allocated per cast member, this should be the last reporter that would ask her.Although the entire hall was in a buzzed after seeing âtheâ Jaxon Elijah standing among them, the press conference must go on. Trying hard to look away from the man, who merely stood with his hands inside his coatâs pockets, the press people could not help but marvel at the air of nobility and dominance leaking from him even when he did basically nothingâthis was the man in-charged of the biggest company in the country!Such an existence was the husband of the woman who was dubbed as the artist with most scandals! The press people who were done asking Ashley could not help but looked at her with fiery eyes. Too bad that they were done with their turn to ask her.Reporter D felt quite pr
“Jaxon, before you claim to be a father, you have to bear the responsibility it carries. The basic ones…at least. When you let that woman come in between you and Scottie, you already lost the qualification to be a father.”Ashley pulled away her hand from his, never feeling any nostalgia from its warmth. Her eyes were biting cold as she stared straight into his deep eyes. Her hot breath fanned over his chin with their hairbreadth distance before she took a step away from him the next second.“As a mother, I am also responsible for this. I let my self-interest came first, not fully understanding Scottie, forgetting he is just a small kid. I, as a mother, am not qualified either to call you names.” Ashley smiled bitterly at Jaxon. “But with this incident as an example, I am willing to put up with this broken marriage for my son. I admit…I pushed and pushed the divorce because I can’t wait to be
Ever since their first fight, life had not gotten any easier for Talia. If anything, it had become even harder.Lucas, once patient and composed, had grown irritable and restless. He hated being weak, hated relying on her, and the frustration bled into everything he did. He snapped more often, his words sharper than he likely intended, but the damage was done each time. And TaliaâTalia, who had already carried so much weight on her shouldersâchose to step back instead of fueling the fire.Not for herself, but for Tasha.Their daughter, still too young to understand the depth of their struggles, had always been a bright spark in their darkest days. Talia refused to let that spark fade.So when Lucasâs voice took on that cold edge, when his temper flared over something as small as her adjusting his pillow or offering to help him sit up, Talia swallowed her own frustration and let it go. She bit back the pain, the hurt, and the urge to lash back. She stepped away before Tasha could see,
The days had turned into months, and Talia had settled into a relentless routine.Between taking care of Lucas, working at the library, and making sure Tasha had everything she needed, there was never enough time. But todayâtoday was different. Today, something miraculous had happened.Lucas had woken up.After months of watching him waste away in his coma, after months of feeding him, cleaning him, speaking to him without responseâhe had opened his eyes. He had whispered her name in a voice so weak and fragile that it had nearly broken her. But he was awake. He was alive.âW-WifeâŠâ He whispered.Talia froze in shock for a split second before she cried out in surprise and happiness. âLucas?!âAnd for the first time in what felt like forever, Talia saw hope.She had spent the day by his side, holding his hand, talking to him, helping him sip water from a straw. His body was weak, too weak to even sit up on his own, but he was there. He was present. It was more than she could have ever
The days blurred into an endless cycle of exhaustion.Talia barely slept anymore.Between tending to Tasha at the hospital, checking on Lucas at home, and working at the library to keep them afloat, there was no time to rest. Every hour of her day was spoken for, every moment accounted for. It was a delicate balance, one that she couldnât afford to lose, but the weight of it pressed down on her like a vice.Her body was slowly giving out.Tashaâs fever had finally broken, but she was still weak. The doctors wanted to keep her in the hospital for a few more days to monitor her condition. Lucas, on the other hand, had taken a turn for the worse. His body was growing frailer by the day, and without proper medical intervention, she feared the inevitable. She knew he needed professional care, but there was no money for that. Every cent she had went into keeping a roof over their heads and putting foodâwhat little she could affordâon the table.She had no one to turn to. No allies. No suppo
The apartment was smallâtoo small for three people, especially when one of them needed around-the-clock care. Talia stared at the single bed pushed against the wall, where Lucas lay unmoving, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, unaware of the world around him. In the other corner, her daughter, Tasha, sat cross-legged on the floor, coloring with the few crayons she had managed to bring from their old home.Talia let out a slow breath, exhaustion pressing against her shoulders like an invisible weight. She had lived many lives, died twice, and yet, nothing could have prepared her for this.Her old lives had been filled with power, darkness, and control. She had never known the taste of struggle, not like this. It was absurd, really. Once, she had commanded armies of men, had resources at her fingertips, had struck fear into the hearts of people with nothing but her name. And now, she was in a rundown apartment with peeling wallpaper and a rickety heater that barely worked.
Five months had passed since Ashley and Jaxon decided to give their family a true second chance.Now, seated in the plush back seat of their luxury SUV, Ashleyâs fingers traced over the financial reports on her tablet screen. The elegant logo of Rosemary Jewelry and Rosemary Real Estate gleamed in the corner, a reminder of the empire she had built with her own hands. At the time, these companies were meant to be her insurance, a safeguard in case she had to walk away from Jaxon and start anew. But now, things had changed. She had chosen to stay. To build not just a business empire, but a family.The numbers on the reports reflected her hard work.Rosemary Jewelry, a brand that had once been a small passion project, was now a name whispered among high society. Celebrities, heiresses, and tycoons adorned themselves with her pieces, and international boutiques clamored for exclusive contracts. On the other hand, Rosemary Real Estate was a rising force, acquiring prime properties and maki
The steam clung to Ashleyâs skin as she stepped out of the bathroom, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders. A plush towel was wrapped securely around her body, but she hardly paid attention to the fabric covering her as she reached for the hairdryer on the vanity. The sound of movement near the closet made her pause.She turned her headâand then froze.Jaxon stood with his back to her, his broad shoulders flexing as he ran a towel through his damp hair. The dim lighting of their bedroom accentuated every ridge and valley of his toned muscles, the chiseled perfection of his body honed through years of discipline and training. But it wasnât just the raw masculinity of his physique that stole Ashleyâs breathâit was the dark, intricate ink stretching across his back.Her name was there.Ashley Elijah.Just beneath it, an elegant script detailed a dateâone that sent an icy shiver down her spine. The date of her death in her past life.Her breath hitched in her throat, her pulse thrumm
Jaxon Elijah sat in his office, his fingers pressed against his temples as he listened to Harold recount the details of Henry Deneuveâs confrontation with Ashley. The more Harold spoke, the more Jaxonâs fury burned like an unrelenting inferno. His jaw clenched, his breathing steady yet deepâa dangerous calm before the inevitable storm.Henry Deneuve had dared to threaten his wife? To speak to Ashley as if she were some scheming outsider rather than the woman who had suffered and endured to reclaim her rightful place? Jaxon would not tolerate it. Not now. Not ever."Prepare the package," Jaxon finally spoke, his voice devoid of emotion but carrying an unshakable weight. "Everything we've collected on Henry over the years. I want him to see every dark secret, every skeleton buried in his past."Harold nodded without hesitation. He knew his boss well enough to recognize that this was not a moment for questioning. This was a moment of execution. The Elijah Consortium did not deal in empty
Ashley stood before the towering glass doors of an exclusive luxury boutique, her heart thudding in her chest. It was a strange sensationâone part excitement, one part apprehension. She had never done this before, never had the chance to bond with a mother over something as trivial yet meaningful as shopping. The mother she had known, the one who had raised her until she passed away, was a distant memory, blurred and bittersweet. And Camilla Connor, the woman who played the role of stepmother, had only ever used the idea of motherhood as a tool to manipulate and belittle her. But now, standing beside Uriel Deneuve, her real mother, Ashley was finally about to experience something she never had before.Uriel, graceful and poised, exuded the quiet confidence of someone who had spent her life in wealth and power yet carried an air of warmth that Ashley hadnât expected. She reached out, gently squeezing Ashleyâs hand. âAre you ready, ma chĂ©rie?â she asked in a soft voice, her foreign acce
Ashley stood in front of the grand estate, her heart pounding against her ribcage. The Deneuve estate was nothing short of magnificent, with its towering gates, sprawling gardens, and a mansion that exuded centuries of prestige and power. She had been through countless battles in lifeâboth emotional and physicalâbut standing here, waiting to meet the people who had given her life, felt like the hardest thing she had ever faced.Jaxon stood beside her, his presence a solid wall of support. He hadn't said much on the way here, knowing that no words could ease the storm brewing inside her. Instead, he simply held her hand, giving her strength in his silence. Ashley squeezed his hand briefly, grateful that despite everything, he was here.The gates opened slowly, revealing a long driveway lined with aged oak trees. A butler approached them with practiced grace, bowing slightly. "Madam Ashley, Master Jaxon, welcome. Mr. and Mrs. Deneuve are waiting for you inside."Ashley took a deep breat