CHAPTER 3

"Asher, Mister Josh would like to see you now," Jade Baker, Robert Josh's personal assistant, announced from the doorway of Asher's office.

"Thank you, Jade," Asher replied with a faint, nearly imperceptible smile.

As she turned to leave, Jade peeked back inside and whispered, "If it’s about marriage again, let me know. I’ll knock some sense into him."

Asher shook his head, suppressing a laugh. "Get back to work before Father thinks we’re slacking off again."

Jade grinned and as forwith she left, Asher’s face darkened.

His relationship with his father had never been close. Robert Josh was strict, demanding, and emotionally distant, always expecting perfection from his children. Asher especially hated his father's constant pressure for him to marry.

Jade was one of the few who supported him, especially when his mother, Gabrielle Josh, wasn't around—her presence was far more intimidating. Jade, now 48 and unmarried, had once been a hostess before joining the Josh family’s business. She'd been Asher’s nanny since he was nine, before later becoming Robert’s PA.

Asher made his way to the lounge where his father sat alone on a massive blue sofa, casually eating cherries. The television before him played a viral video from the night before—footage of a blonde woman publicly insulting his son.

"Quite the spectacle, wasn’t it?" Robert remarked, gesturing toward the screen.

Asher watched how the blonde poured dirt on his name publicly. He didn't have the pleasure of seeing her face clearly yesterday but now he could see her.

Freckled nose. Brown eyes. Full lips. Average-sized figure. That face.

One thing was certain, he hated that face.

“ She called the son of the Josh's family an asshole.” Robert laughed somewhat happy about it. “ I'd like to see her face-to-face. At least someone has the guts to step up to your curt attitude.”

Asher's glare shifted between the TV and his father. "Is that why you called me here? To discuss this nonsense?"

"Frankly speaking, you should be lucky that's not why I called you here. Unless I'll make you go out and find that woman, then you'd apologize to her in my presence.”

Asher’s brows furrowed. “ Apologize for what— You know what, never mind. Why did you ask to see me?”

Robert popped another cherry into his mouth and sat straight, ready for business.

"Angelica will be back in New York in three months—"

"I have told you to stop talking about that bitch.”

“ Language!” Robert snapped.

Asher's clenched his jaw.

"You know the type of woman she is," He muttered.

"Yes. Careless. But she’s still the mother of your three-year-old daughter. And you're going to marry her."

"I'll marry someone I love. Angelica will never be that woman."

Robert’s eyes narrowed. "Love? A man like you is incapable of romantic love. You’ll end up alone if you keep this up."

Asher stood, towering over his father. "Exactly." He turned on his heel and left without another word.

Later, instead of returning to work, he called his best friend and business partner, Josiah Al-Nasser.

"Let me guess, someone pissed you off again, and now you need moral support?" Josiah’s frivolous voice added a layer of anger to Asher’s already overflowing pile.

"Are you in New York?"

"Come on, dude, I returned to New York with you this Monday. “

Josiah was the opposite of Asher; loud, carefree, and a magnet for attention. Yet when it came to business, he was sharp. His father, a powerful Sheikh from Ajman, had entrusted him with managing their American ventures till he found a wife and returned to his homeland.

"I know. I'm just asking a stupidly obvious question like you did— But, don't start smiling like an ass; I don't need your moral support. All I need is lights, alcohol, and music.”

“ Oh, is someone finally ready to take alcohol for the first time in his youth?”

“ If I get drunk, I'll kill you.” He switched the position of his phone to his other ear. “ Fifteen minutes. I'll be waiting for you.”

Josiah arrived in nine.

Two minutes on the road, Josiah was singing along to ‘Another Love' playing on the drive.

Asher stared out the window, holding a smile.

“ Oh, come on, Ash, I know you want to sing along.”

“ Shut up.”

“ Look at your leg; you are already moving to the beat.”

“What beat? This is a freaking depressing song.” Asher snorted.

“ You can't hear the beat because your heart's been broken one too many times!”

Asher ran his hand through his face, laughing as he shook his head. “ What woman would see a man like me and want to break my heart?”

Josiah scoffed. “ And they say I'm a narcissist.”

Within less than an hour in the bar, Josiah was wasted. Asher had only one shot of alcohol and knew he was never going to take it again.

He sat at the bar, face resting on his hands, thoughts circling back to his father’s words.

His daughter.

The child Angelica used as a bargaining tool. He remembered the first time he saw his daughter—tiny, delicate, perfect. And now, Angelica refuses to let him see his child unless they get married.

"Hey, dude, check out that chick. She’s been staring at me since we walked in," Josiah suddenly whispered.

Asher groaned. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Well, you are on your own because I'm going to meet her. “ Josiah got up from the bar stool, grabbed Asher’s shoulder, and brought his lips to his ear. “ Plus, she has a sexy friend; you can go say hi to her or continue acting like a depressed teenager.”

As Josiah wandered off, Asher’s attention drifted toward the dance floor. His gaze locked on a blonde woman dancing with reckless abandon.

Asher stared at the blonde with furrowed brows. He could swear she resembled someone he'd seen on television an hour ago.

While Josiah took her friend away, it was only her and the ginger guy dancing together.

Asher stepped closer, needing to confirm it was her. She was wild, almost unrecognizable in a strapless crop top and yellow miniskirt. As she danced, laughing and twirling, his irritation grew.

Then the music shifted, slowing into a sensual rhythm.

Suddenly, she was pressed against him, arms wrapping around his neck.

"Go, Lena!” Raymond cheered. “ Rock that ass.”

Asher inhaled sharply as her body moved against him. Heat flared through his veins. She moaned softly when she felt his reaction pressing against her.

He clenched his jaw, trying to resist, but she turned around, eyes meeting his with a playful, tipsy smile.

"Hello, stranger.” Lena smiled so brightly that Asher's bulge grew even bigger.

Asher came to a realization that she didn't remember him, or at least she was too drunk to. She swayed her hair left and right, dancing seductively on his body.

By the time the song was over, they were both breathing loudly and their nose were touching. Lena didn't take her hand off his neck. There was a burning fire in her that she needed to quench and she could feel it in him too.

She took a hand off his neck to graze his lips. “ Make me forget.” She closed her eyes and cupped his cheeks with both hands. A tear fell out of her eyes as she closed them. “ I don't want to be the one who starts giving first.”

She grabbed his large veiny hand and placed it on her breast. Her eyes were pleading, he could see she wasn't just asking for sex. Something was disturbing her greatly but there was no cause to give a damn. As far as he remembered, she disrespected him, he shouldn't have mercy on her.

“ You want me to touch you?” He took his hand off her chest and grazed her parted lips. He frowned as he saw the bruises on them as well as the ones on her jaw.

“ No...I want you to make love to me.” She grabbed his hand to place it on her chest again, but he jerked his hand away.

A part of him didn't want to touch her but a bigger part of him wanted to. He wanted to punish her. He wanted to see if she could handle the ferociousness of his body pounding into hers.

“ Turn around for me,” Asher ordered, his eyes devoid of emotions.

Lena complied.

He placed a hand on her waist and the other on her neck then brought his face close to her neck. Another bruise.

His jaw clenched.

“ Let's be civilized,” he whispered on her neck.

A silent moan escaped her lips when his breath fanned the bruise on her neck.

“ Mhm.”

“ What's the most civilized place to have sex in this place?”

It took two minutes to reach the bathroom. One minute to strip. Thirty minutes of heated foreplay and twenty minutes of Lena screaming and begging for Asher to keep on hurting and smashing her.

Then, three minutes later, for him to realize, something was definitely wrong with her.