Ashley
The days followed by the "note incident" flew by in peace. No further threats were received. But that didn't mean she was not afraid anymore. The threatening words of the note were etched painfully in her memory that kept repeating themselves again and again in her head. Daniel didn't tell her much and his guarded expression revealed nothing, but she knew better. Ashley was suspicious that Michael was not alone in it. There was someone aiding him.She wanted to ask Daniel but she hadn't seen much of him since that day. Like a true workaholic, Daniel was always out of the house coming back only late at the night to leave again early the next morning. One silver lining was that Ashley had recovered to a great extent. She was able to walk on her own now. However, running was still out of question.That night she asked Dayna not to prepare her dinner as she wanted to make it by herself. It had been days since she had made something and her hands were itching to cooAshleyThe day started as ordinary as any other but she was more than sure it was going to end differently. Tonight she was going to attend Giselles' party with Daniel. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. Ashley had never attended high-profile parties before except for the one back at Springdales to celebrate Daniel's visit. She wasn't exactly a party animal. No, she was far from that. She loved living in solitude. In her own world. But that didn't mean she liked to be caged. Or dictated. There is a difference between choosing to live alone and being forced to live alone.Ashley forced herself apart from those memories of Michael. She had more pressing issues right now. For instance, what is she going to wear today? Ashley didn't have many clothes as all her belongings were tucked inside the cupboard back in her home in Springdale. Heck, she didn't even have her phone. Only a few casual tees and lowers that Daniel had bought for her.
The car came to a halt in front of a grand door. Two muscular guards were posted on either side of the door. Ashley had to crane her head to see the top of the lofty building. She realized they were in front of a hotel. The driver opened her door removing the glassy barrier between her and the outside world. She twisted her neck to her side and realized that Daniel had already alighted from the car. She gulped back her apprehensions and climbed out."Thank you," she uttered to the driver and walked towards Daniel who was standing just a few steps away from her. Daniel was typing something on his phone. They begin walking towards the entrance once she caught up with him. Her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest as they padded towards the entrance. Daniel looked indifferent. Maybe bored.The guards greeted them with a bow before drawing the door open for them. Ashley let Daniel take the lead but Daniel wanted her to walk beside him. This is why he would stop every
Daniel didn't stop glaring daggers at Leo even after he stepped back."Sorry pal, I didn't know she is taken.....by you" Leo raised both his hand in surrender. Ashley's whole face had turned red by now. Daniel still had his arms wrapped around her waist as if he had all the right in the world to do so. Ashley didn't know what to think. She waited for Daniel to correct Leo but the billionaire seemed to be too busy destructing Leo with his cold gaze. She tried to step away but Daniel's tight hold didn't allow her."Umm...we are not together," Ashley finally spoke up realizing Daniel was not going to clarify it. Her words surely had an effect on Daniel as his head turned towards her the moment she spoke the line. Ashley's heart skipped a beat when her eyes met with his. His cold orbs had softened as they landed on her but there was something in them that caused her heart to scrumple. It flickered and disappeared in a flash. And then his eyes hardened again. He slid his hand o
DANIELDaniel was furious. The compulsion to raze the whole world to the ground bit him hard when he saw handprints on Ashley's cheek. Her beautiful hair had been manhandled into a mess. Her eyes had swollen due to constant crying. She was terrified to the bone. Her trembling form and the way she was holding onto him explained how unsettled her state of mind was. He held her in his arms not caring what people would label them as. He tried to cool her nerves down while himself boiling from inside. And the message that doodled on the mirror didn't make the situation better.The incident had shaken her to the core. Her body craved protection. Yearned assurance. But was he in a position to give her assurance when he had failed her twice? Ashley placed her faith in him and he failed her yet again.Daniel and Ashley stayed like this for a while until Ashley felt a little less bad. She detangled herself from him and brushed her tears off. Daniel scooted over allowing her more spac
ASHLEYThe existence of the moon totally faded away when sun rose up in the sky with its bright glory indicating the beginning of another day. But Ashley was still a prisoner of the last night. Those memories had chased away her sleep despite how tired she felt. They haunted her like a relentless witch. She cried, sniffled, cursed, and fell silent after losing all her energy. It wasn't lost on her that Michael wanted her to pay for bringing him behind the bar. That is why he was so hell-bent on having her back so that he could torture her in the most inhuman way possible. The thought caused a shudder to pass through her body.The event had triggered chaos in her mind and she had been so engrossed in repressing it that she couldn't notice a silhouette sneaking in her room from time to time to check up on her throughout the night.Next morning, she woke up when Dayna came in with a tray of breakfast and gently nudged her shoulder to awake her. Ashley had given in to sle
ASHLEYAshley inwardly groaned when Dayna informed her that Jack is downstairs waiting for her. Her face twisted in displeasure as her body was still aching because of the hardcore training she was put through by him. By hardcore, she meant a few physical exercises. Ten days had passed by since the party incident and more than a week since she had been taking self-defense classes. Daniel insisted on her learning self-defense and had appointed Jack as her trainer. She was also excited to learn to fight on her own or may be able to defend herself when the situation demands.But her fiery spirit watered down on the very first day itself when her trainer told her to run five rounds across a vast ground. She did her best but couldn't make it after 3rd round. That night her body ached as if a car had run over it.Ashley strode out of her room after fixing her soured expression. It's not that she didn't like Jack. He was a sweet guy with an incredibly handsome face but one t
DANIELHe heaved a sigh of relief when his father slammed the door of his room shut and disappeared from his line of sight. Daniel couldn't leave the office at his usual time as his father had apparently planned a surprise visit to his office. Daniel pulled himself from his chair and shot a glance over his wristwatch. He had gotten late by half an hour. Without delaying any further, he made a b-line to the parking lot and pulled his car in motion after settling into it.He had made it a point for the last few days to return home early before Dayna's shift gets over. He would have gotten home in time had his father not come and gave him an extended lecture on the fatal consequences of taking a poor class divorcee in. Daniel's father had an obsession with money, status, and power. He had spent his entire life acquiring it and subsequently losing his family. It was his obsession that pushed Daniel's mother into depression. It was his obsession that ma
ASHLEYWho would have thought spewing out the content of her heart in front of "not really a stranger but not also a friend" would make her feel this good? After that little episode, she waited for embarrassment to coat her cheek or remorse to hit her conscience but nothing happened. On the contrary, she felt content and light. Not that she was complaining.It's not that her fear for Michael had vanished away like a cloud of smoke in the sky. No. She was still scared of him but now she had chosen to fight her fear head-on instead of cowering away before giving herself a try. She slept peacefully that night."Someone's looking very happy today. Dreamt of me last night?," Jack asked her with his ever mischievous smile.Ashley was doing some stretches when he made the comment. She rolled her eyes in a playful manner and said, "Ain't you full of yourself?""No, I am not. But girls want to be," he responded while throwing a wink her way a