Asher's POVAs the car headed towards home, my gut twisted into knots. I played around with my seatbelt trying to calm myself down as my mind raced with worst-case scenarios of what could be possible be wrong. "Oh no, oh no, oh no... Did he find out about the investment? I knew I shouldn't have touched his slush funds!" I thought, my inner voice trembling.I attempted to rehearse what I could probably say to him, but I had no clue of what to say. My palms grew slick with sweat, and my legs couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't remember the last time I was this terrified to face my father. I hesitated to get down from the car, my hand hovering over the door handle. "Okay, Asher, get a grip. You can do this. Just apologize, make excuses, and... Ugh, who am I kidding? I'm doomed."My father never joked around with his money. I should have been more careful with my spending. But I was already at a loss in the suite business, I needed a way to clear the loss I had made. “Oh shit,” I cursed u
Arabella’s POVAs I stepped out of the car, I saw Mr. Robinson, he seemed to be heading out. "Good day sir," I greeted him with a smile."Good day, Arabella," he replied warmly, but then I noticed a small trickle of blood that went down his fingers."You're bleeding," I gasped, my eyes widening in shock and concern."Oh, this?" He said, as he pointed to his hands and waved it off dismissively."It's nothing.""Are you sure? It looks bad.""Really, it's nothing to worry about, my secretary would treat it for me," he said. "How was the honeymoon? I hope Asher treated you well?" He asked, trying to change the conversation.I nodded, still worried about the wound "Yeah he did, it was so wonderful and we had a great time.""Good to hear," he said with a nod. "I knew you two would definitely enjoy it.""We did. Thanks a lot for that, I appreciate it, as the honeymoon was filled with so much.""Well, I'm glad you had fun, how is your health? I heard from Asher that you were down with a fev
Asher's POVI drove round and round the road, how I managed to survive was a miracle. As I drove recklessly, I was in pain—not from the bruises from my father's beating. I was a fool, a very big fool. “I wish I could turn back the hands of time”, I thought, maybe I might not have made the risky investment I did with IAS. Maybe I might not have carried out projects that were not fruitful, or not have carried any projects at all.I couldn't bear Arabella seeing me like this. It would hurt my ego, looking like a mess in front of her. My father was furious, and he had every reason to be. The suite I had been managing was his precious baby; he had started his first suite business with that. I kept driving, the hours blending together. The city lights blurred past, a whirlwind of colors and shapes. “Why did I have to be so reckless?”, “damnit,” I said, as the car's engine roared as I pushed it to its limits, the speedometer needle climbing higher and higher. I needed to outrun my thoughts
Ashers POVDriving to my father's home made my heart pound, my fingers slick with sweat. “I'm nervous as hell. I hope this ends well. There has to be another way out besides him disowning me.” As I approached the house, I felt a wave of nostalgia all over me. I hadn't been here in about ten years due to the memories of the house and the memories were ones I wished I could forget as I still had traumas about my childhood. “Damnit, I don't want to be here.”I stepped into the parlor, and the past rushed back. I vividly remember that seven years old me. I was seven years old, hiding behind the worn-out couch, my breath shallow. Mrs. Blackwood's voice echoed through the house. "Come out, you bastard!" Her footsteps grew louder. My hands were sweaty, my heart raced. I felt the sting of the first spanking, sharp and humiliating. Later, she dragged me to the little room downstairs, locking me inside. The darkness was suffocating. _Why is she being mean to me?” I had always asked as I crie
Asher's POVI sat in the car, staring at the documents, my mind filled with a lot of things. “ Damnit, damnit” I cursed repeatedly. “There has to be another way.”I couldn't make Arabella sign a document agreeing to her father's death. “I'm not that heartless.”But the options were slim, I knew I definitely could not take the chance of being disowned just because of her, I didn't hold her in such high esteem.My hands shook as I turned the pages, the words blurring together. “Think, Asher. There must be another way.” But deep down, I knew there wasn't. My father's ultimatum was clear. Either making her sign the document or being stripped of my title as a Blackhood. “I can't lose everything. Not like this.”I glanced at my phone and saw a missed call from Arabella, she had been calling for quite some time, I knew I definitely could not face her now and I surely couldn't go home, I didn't want to face after what she saw and I neither did not want to drive around aimlessly either. I
Arabella's POVAt the very sight of Asher, I broke into a run. My feet pounded the ground, my heart racing not just from the sprint but from the emotions, I barely could hide my excitement. The moment I reached him, I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. My chest tightened as I felt him stiffen and shift slightly, his face twisted slightly in paint. It was as if any time his body came in contact with mine, he experienced pain. “ Oh shit, his bruises' 'I muttered to myself.My eyes welled up with tears, and I fought to keep my voice steady. "I'm so sorry, Asher," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. I removed my hands from his.He gave a small, strained smile, trying to hide the pain. "There is no need to be. Can we have breakfast already." He saidThe fact he was pretending to be okay, broke me. I could see how stressed he looked, the pain from his bruises, and the way he was forcing himself to pretend he was okay. His lips brus
Asher's POV"Damn," I muttered under my breath, unable to look away. She was beautiful. Her skin was soft and fresh, almost glowing in the dimmed sunlight. I leaned in closer to her, her sweet, strawberry-like perfume filled my nostrils. Her chest rose and fell with each breath she made, her breathing was peaceful. The sight of her sleeping so soundly made my heart skip for a bit. She was a beauty to behold even though a few strands of hair covered her face, but that didn't disturb her sleep. She slept comfortably, and innocently, and for a moment, I felt like I was about to steal candy from a baby.A guilty feeling washed over me, making me sit upright. My eyes drifted to the drawer where the document was hidden. "Oh shit," I cursed, my heart heavy with the weight of what I was about to do. I felt like the most horrible human being alive, but what choice did I have? I couldn't bear the thought of being disowned, not again. The very idea sent chills down my spine.I shook my head, tr
Arabella's P.O.V"You’re awake," he says, closing the balcony door behind him.I blinked and sat up. "Oh, yeah," I replied, realizing I must have fallen asleep after about three rounds of sex. I stretched my arms and legs, which felt a bit stiff. He smiled. "Since you’re rested, how about we go to my friend's pub, the NightHawk?""Your friend?" I asked, never heard him talk about a friend"Yes, a very good friend of mine," he said. "I've known him for ages. He laughed, tossing his finger in his hair, "It might sound crazy, but the first time we met, we threw blows at each other" “One minute we were fighting, and the next, we were best friends. He’s been there for me through the tough times of my life. I am sure you'll like him. He always has a smirk on his face but deep down he has been through a lot” he said, I noticed a change of expression on his face.“ He is sure a crazy dude, willing to help others but he doesn't let others help him, he has been through shit,” he said, as he
Ashers POVI took a deep breath as I opened the door of the study room door. I knew he was already inside, waiting for me. As soon as I opened the door, a bottle came flying in my direction. I barely managed to dodge the bottle. Typical. It would be a lie if I said I hadn't expected it.I dust my suit, as I walk closer to him, with my eyes on him as he stands by the desk, he actually couldn't wait to pounce on me but not this time. He took a step forward, his hand raised. He was going to slap me, but I caught his wrist before he could land on my cheeks.“Not this time,” I said firmly, as you stared at him squarely. “I’ve let you do this before, but not anymore,” I said as I pushed his hands away.For a moment, he just stood there, shocked that I had stopped him. I could see it in his eyes, he wasn't just shocked but he was terrified. He tried saying something but he didn't, he just glared at me, as he went back to the desk. I couldn't hide the smirk on my face, I love seeing this sid
Arabella's POVIt had been ten minutes since we entered the car and he hadn't said a word to me, it was clear that his mind wasn't there. He looked nervous, he was worried. I didn't know what to do or say and I did not want to sit down in silence. I adjusted my seat, as I moved my seat close to him and I placed his hands on my stomach.“Can you feel the baby kick?” I asked as I put my head on his shoulder “Our little one’s restless today.”For a moment, he paused, his brow furrowed in concentration. Then, I saw it—the moment when he felt the baby’s tiny movement. His eyes widened in surprise.“Wow,” he breathed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “The baby kicked.”I laughed, the way he reacted was funny. He looked at me and turned away then he looked again, and I knew he saw the tears in my eyes. I tried to brush them away quickly, but it was too late. He had noticed.“ Are you okay?” He asked I turned my face away, suddenly feeling exposed, I was trying to comfort him and not make
Asher's POVIt’s been over thirty minutes since Asher left without saying a word or even any phone call from him yet, I honestly was tired of all this. His unnecessary silent or frequent anger over little things was starting to annoy me, the worst was that he wouldn’t open up to me, he wouldn’t just simply talk about what was bothering him despite how I tried to make him talk and in the end, he caused enough trouble to get us disqualified from the competition and still wouldn't talk about what happened. And this was just so tiring and frustrating for me, I really didn't know what to do about it. The idea of just going home felt a relief to me, I just couldn’t wait to go home. Because everything had been going downhill since the competition began. Asher had changed, and I couldn’t quite figure out why. He was distant and unpredictable, and his mood swings were wearing me down. I needed a break, some space to clear my head, but that didn’t seem likely to happen here anytime soon.I lo
Asher's POVI stuffed my clothes into the suitcase, not bothering to even fold it. I just needed to get out of here. Every item I tossed felt like throwing away the last few weeks, all the hard work, the efforts, everything. Arabella was packing too, she didn't bother to say anything since all of this happened. I was glad she didn't ask questions. I couldn’t deal with her right now, couldn’t handle trying to explain what had happened. I glanced over at her. She was folding a dress, her hands were steady as she carefully folded the dress without any care of the word, as if we had not been thrown out. “Damnit!” I yelled as I couldn't hold it anymore. “ Damn that bloody Willams” I screamed as the sound echoed around the room. Arabella didn’t flinch, didn’t look up. Maybe she knew better than to try and calm me down right now. I needed to get away from this room, from the suitcase, from everything. I needed air. I stomped out, slamming the door behind me. I barely noticed where I was
Asher's POV I strolled down the garden heading to my room. I barely could contain my anger. I kicked at loose stones and scattered leaves, not caring where they landed. I hated losing. I hated looking like a fool, especially in front of everyone and worst still Willams was the cause of it all. He found a way to pull me down every single time, no matter how much effort I put into it, I get the fact I was the one who started this, but his actions are affecting the suite.I clenched my fists so tightly if only I could get my hands on him. I imagined the smirk on his face, his smirk irritated me the most. I wanted to wipe that smirk right off. I couldn't go back into the room. Not yet. Arabella would come there, I didn't want to face any more of her questions and curious stares. She would never understand me, Scarlet understood me better. At that moment I missed having Scarlet around.I decided to walk around the garden, just to clear my anger and then I saw him. Williams. He was standin
Arabella POVAs soon as I walked out of the room trying to keep up with Asher's pace. The cool breeze outside should feel refreshing, but it doesn’t. My mind is stuck replaying the last half hour, Williams’ questions, the exchange between him and Asher, and also the bad energy they have, ever since the competition began. Asher hasn't said anything but him and Williams, but I knew something might have happened between them. I glance at him, but his face is set in that calm mask he wears when he’s trying not to let anything show. But I can see through it—his clenched jaw, the way his hands curl into fists when he thinks I’m not looking. Something’s bothering him.“Asher,” I start, my voice soft, testing the waters. “What’s going on with you and Williams? I know there’s more to it than just him being a judge and doing his duty.”He keeps walking, his eyes fixed straight ahead. For a second, I think he was ignoring me, but then he let out a long sigh and slowed his pace.“It’s nothing fo
Asher's POVThe room is buzzing with energy, but all I can feel is the weight of Williams’ eyes on me. He hasn’t let up since this competition started. Every look, every word, it’s like he’s daring me to crack. I won’t give him that satisfaction. Not today.I glance at Arabella. She’s sitting beside me, her hands resting in her lap, looking more relaxed than she has been, I know the competition has taken a toll on her. Today’s challenge is different—a relationship-based task. It’s meant to test how well we know each other. Simple enough. But with Williams lurking in the background, I know it won’t stay that way.The first few questions come easily. What’s Arabella’s favorite color? Easy, blue. How does she like her coffee? Black with a dash of sugar, just like she always orders when we’re out. I can feel her starting to relax even more as we move through the questions. She’s smiling now, at least this challenge was nothing too serious compared to the last ones. And for a moment, I let
Arabella's POVI want to believe him, but something in his tone makes me doubt it. He’s not fully here. His mind is somewhere else, probably on Williams. I can see it in the way his fists keep clenching and unclenching at his sides. He’s angry, though he’s trying to hide it from me. But it was too obvious. “ I am still scared Asher” I admitted.He stops walking, turning to face me, and for a moment, I see the frustration flash in his eyes. Not at me, but at everything else. “You don't have to be.”His words should have reassured me, but he didn't, maybe it was because of how he said it.“ You look angry,” I said, finally mustering the courage to ask. “ Is it because of…Williams.”He doesn’t answer immediately, but he mutters a curse under his breath. “Maybe a bit, I just can't get my mind off what he did, after long hours of prepping for this, he just has to show off and act petty.”“Asher,” I say gently, stepping closer to him. “We’ll get through this. Don't let him get to you. Yo
Arabella's POVThe day after the introduction party, I woke up with a sharp pain in my stomach. Yesterday was really a stressful day, I doubt if I have the energy to prepare l for today's challenge. Today's challenge is a team strategy exercise, and couples have to solve a business problem together. I don’t know how I’m going to get through this. Asher and I haven't worked together in this way. I don’t even know how much I can contribute. He’s the business genius, not me.When we arrive at the room where the challenge will take place, I scan the other couples. They didn't look out of place like me. My breath catches when I see one couple already discussing potential strategies before the challenge has even started. I wish I had that kind of confidence. But I don’t.Asher places a reassuring hand on the small of my back. "We’ve got this," he says softly, but his eyes were focused on something else, his jaw tightens and the way his fingers tighten as he sees Willams. He appears calm, bu