Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Vincent

“Yes,” I accepted, and then started going down to the basement.

Meeting Ashley for the first time was… cute. Yeah, it is crazy for me to find interest in cute things. She isn’t a thing now, is she? She is the one who I had an eye on from the start. I have been watching over her for many years and finally, it is the day, tomorrow, when she will be mine. I can’t really wait.

As I reached down, David bowed to me. I smiled slightly and he was shocked.

“B-Boss, did you smile?”

“Ashley’s here, after all,” I went further in the basement and he followed me.

“Is the wedding plan ready?” I asked him, he nodded.

“Yes. I personally checked every little thing”

“Every?” I asked to confirm.

“Yes. Trust me, sir”

“Sure”

He knew the sarcasm, so he sighed. “I did check everything, sir”

“Good”

I never trusted anything. I know, we work together and he knows my ninety-percent secrets, but still, I don’t “trust” anyone.

Still, if you ask, he is the one I trust the most if you can call it that.

I went to my other men. They were standing like robots- they are always like that, and they need to be.

“Is this house secure?”

“99%--”

“Fuck you!” I cursed. 99%. What the shit?

“Sorry, boss… the--”

“I need it 100%, in an hour”

I went upstairs, and David followed me.

“Stay in your room, and have some rest,” I told him as I reached the upper floor.

The shock was evident on his face. Of course, I never let him have “rest”.

“Go before I change my mind”

He went straight to the down floor. He has a room on the floor just above the basement.

I went to Ash’s room. Ash. I love this name but that shitty Chris used to call her that. I will call her something else.

Um… Ashy.

I knocked on the door.

She opened it and this time, she wasn’t afraid of me.

Or at least, not that much.

“Ashley” I called her as she looked lost.

She looked at me with the same expression on her face, which I haven’t been able to interpret till now.

She extended her hand slowly and I looked at her with an interesting face. A small smile played on my lips as her hand came near my hand and she held it.

I took a step and kept my hand on her scalp and she came out of her world. We were quite close and she left my hand immediately.

“Ah… I-I…” she stuttered and I smirked. My hand on her hair felt so good to me, did it have the same effect on her?

“I… I was…” she continued.

I bent down a little to match her height and she looked at me shocked.

“Don’t stutter, it’s alright”

“R-really?”

“Yes”

“You… You are so good, so why do people…” her voice trailed off.

“I am not good; I am not bad. I am good to people who are good and worst to the bad ones”

She nodded slowly. “That is normal… isn’t it? I don’t feel bad around you…”

“That’s why you are different” I kissed her forehead and I could feel her breath hitching up at this close proximity.

I went a little back and looked into her eyes. We were still too close to even breathe.

“V-Vin--”

“Shhh” I kept a finger on her lips.

I smiled at her and she just stood emotionless. I went back and she just stood like the world stopped and she was just like, she was completely lost.

“Ashie”

She looked at me and suddenly blushed a lot. It looked as if all the blush she was holding in suddenly came out.

“God, you look so pretty right now”

She ran to the end of the room and hid her face with her hands. I smiled widely at her cute action.

I closed the room door. “Okay, come here”

She slowly removed her hands and came a little close to me. We had like an arm distance.

“Ashie” she looked down. “Can I call you Ashie?”

“W-Whatever you want”

I smiled. She is fun. “Cool”

“I-I wanted to ask something…” she whispered.

“Then ask”

“Will I be able to meet Lara…?”

I clicked my tongue. “No”

She looked down and all the happiness vanished from her face. How can I let her meet her? That is insanity. At least till I trust her, and that will take forever.

“Please…”

“Ashley, listen to me at once. I don’t like repeating my words, but I already repeated this line only for you. I hope I don’t need to say it again”

“Okay…”

I extended my hand to her head again, but she stepped back. “Can I sleep?” she questioned.

“Yes, of course,” I said, clearly irritated by her last move.

She went slowly back and I started leaving the room.

“I-I have to sleep here… right?”

“Yes”

She nodded and I left the room.

Well, I cannot just let her meet Lara. That is never gonna happen. And if this is her condition, well, I am not bound to accept it. I am just bound to marry her and I will. It is better if she does it by her wish because as I said, I have my ways. I am trying my best to make this marriage happy and make it work, but if she is gonna be stubborn for a stupid demand, well, she will face the consequences.