One night, one drink

Ashley woke up to find herself in an unfamiliar room. Her body ached as she struggled to sit up in bed. She looked around, confusion etched on her face, until her eyes landed on the shredded pieces of lingerie she had worn the night before.

She gasped as realization dawned. She quickly glanced under the duvet—there was no need for anyone to tell her what had happened. Ashley smacked her forehead repeatedly, blaming herself for drinking until she passed out.

“What do I put on?” she said, her face pale with panic, as she managed to rise to her feet. Her gaze searched the room and settled on a long-sleeve shirt on the couch.

Putting it on, she prepared to leave the room when someone finally emerged from the bathroom. She could hear footsteps behind her, causing her to freeze in place.

As she remembered how the person had taken advantage of her drunken state and had a one-night stand with her without her consent, she clenched her fists tightly until her knuckles turned white.

With these thoughts in mind, she decided to give him a piece of her mind before leaving.

She turned around to face her mysterious one-night-stand partner. Her eyes widened as she stared at Dante, her ex-husband, with whom she had lost contact years ago.

“D… Dante!” she stammered, like a thief caught in the act.

“Oh my goodness,” she said, covering her mouth with her palm. “You’re the man I…” she trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief.

Ashley was about to run out of the room when Dante grabbed her by the arm. “At least put on something decent,” he said, handing her his pants and T-shirt.

Dante respectfully turned away as she quickly dressed in his clothes. Ashley then ran out of the room before he could even react.

He stood by the door, confused as ever, when his phone began to ring. The driver informed him that the house had been cleaned and that he was on his way to pick him up.

Shortly after, he heard a knock at the door. The driver packed up his belongings and placed them in the trunk of the car.

As Dante got into the backseat, he picked up a tablet beside him, running his long fingers over the screen. A few minutes later, his phone chimed, and Ashley’s basic information appeared on the screen:

Name: Ashley Kingsley

First Child of: Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley

Sibling: Tristan Kingsley

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Occupation: General Manager at Brighton Groups

Educational Status: B.A. in Business Administration

Hobbies: Painting, jogging, podcasts

Languages Spoken: English

Fiancé: Jude Lane

Notable Achievements: Led a campaign that increased her company’s online presence by 70% in under six months.

He read through the information with an unreadable expression and then closed the tab. He looked out the window as the gate automatically opened, the car driving straight into Evermoore Estate.

As he looked around the premises, he noticed that nothing much had changed since he flew abroad. The car passed through the tree-lined driveway and finally came to a halt.

He stepped out of the vehicle and walked into the living area. Dante took the elevator, eager to check on his father’s condition so he could leave immediately. When he reached the door, he knocked gently before entering.

His father lay on the bed under a duvet, with his mother sitting beside him.

“Mom. Dad,” Dante called softly.

They turned toward him, joy lighting up their faces. Mrs. Montclair sprang up and wrapped him in a warm hug. “My son, you’re here,” she said, her voice emotional.

His father attempted to sit up, but she gently urged him to lie still. “You’re still recovering, honey.”

“I’m glad you came back,” Mr. Montclair said sincerely. “It means a lot to me.”

“How are you feeling now?” Dante asked, awkward under the warmth of his parents’ attention. He had left home as a young adult seven years ago.

“Seeing you here is healing in itself,” Mr. Montclair replied, patting the bed beside him.

“My assistant will bring you up to speed,” he added with a sigh.

Dante nodded and glanced at his watch. “I’ll come back after I settle in,” he said, heading out.

His parents watched him leave with quiet admiration, proud of the man he had become.

⸻

Meanwhile, Ashley sat in her office, her mind trailing back to the incident with Dante earlier. Her hand froze mid-air when Simon walked up to her, snapping his fingers in front of her.

She jolted out of her thoughts, a fake smile forming on her face as Simon spoke up.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked softly, and Ashley shook her head. “It’s nothing, just so much to plan for the wedding,” she said, trying to divert her attention.

“You have time, Ash,” Simon said with a light chuckle before walking off.

Just then, she heard a knock on the door to her office. Her PA walked in. “Ma’am, someone is outside to see you,” she announced before taking her leave.

This left Ashley puzzled, wondering if maybe it was Jude who had stopped by the company to see her. Eager to find out, she got up, closed her office, and walked out—only to find Dante leaning against his car, legs crossed casually.

Her smile faltered, confusion flickering in her eyes. Why was he here?

“Why are you here?” Ashley finally spoke up, her voice cautious as she watched him size her up.

“I was just curious about what happened last night,” Dante replied, his tone calm. “So I came to get some answers. Don’t you think I deserve to know why you were in my room?”

“Can we just forget about last night? Pretend it never happened,” Ashley said, her voice cold and formal, as if she were speaking to a stranger. “I have a fiancé, and he wouldn’t be pleased to know.”

Dante just stood there, silent, studying her. Ashley let out a deep sigh, turning to walk away. But her phone suddenly rang. As she reached to answer, her face went pale.

She screamed and dropped the phone.

“Tristan’s been shot!”