Proposal

Dante and Ashley sat quietly in his car, parked just across the street from the hospital. Ashley fiddled nervously with her fingers, her gaze meeting Dante for a brief second before she quickly looked away.

“You said you wanted to speak to me urgently.”

Dante cleared his throat slightly, breaking the odd silence.

Feeling his gaze on her, Ashley wished the ground would open and swallow her. If not for the tight situation, she wouldn’t sit in the car of the same man who shattered her into pieces.

Ashley licked her lips nervously. “I need your help… it’s really urgent. I have to pay my brother’s hospital bills by tomorrow, and I don’t have enough.”

“You know money isn’t my problem. I can help you with any amount you need, but what do I get in return?” he said shamelessly, going straight to the point without hesitation.

Ashley’s gaze flickered as his words rang in her ear; she couldn’t believe such words were coming out from Dante. When they were much younger, he used to be shy and respectful towards ladies.

He was the true definition of a gentleman. But how could she be foolish enough to think he was the same guy she got married to seven years back?

“What do you want from me?” she asked bitterly. “My body?”

“I want you to be my woman, and everything that belongs to me is yours.”

“There’s no need for formality,” Ashley scoffed, looking away. “If it’s my body you’re after, we might as well negotiate. It’s not like it’s your first time anyway.”

Dante grabbed her by the shoulder, gently but firmly turning her face to meet his. “I’m serious, Ash,” he said, his voice low, eyes piercing into hers.

She gulped down her saliva, feeling as if her heart was about to rip out of her chest. She couldn’t handle the position they were in. Suddenly, she felt suffocated, and all she wanted to do was get away from him. Ashley found herself nodding her head to his words.

“We are good then?” Dante said quietly. “No going back on your word, Ash. No matter where you run to, I’ll always find you.”

He reached into the back seat and pulled out a small paper bag of food, placing it in her hand. Without saying another word, Ashley opened the car door and stepped out.

She watched his car take off into the distance, leaving her sinking in regret over her decision.

The following morning, Ashley woke up on the couch in the hospital. She looked over at her brother’s bed only to find it empty.

She felt her heart jump in her chest as panic seized her.

Just then, a nurse walked in, all smiles, toward Ashley. “Relax, ma’am, the patient got transferred to a private ward. We would have informed you, but we didn’t want to disturb your sleep,” she said respectfully.

“Can you show me his room?” Ashley asked as she stared at the nurse, who had spoken to her rudely the previous night and was glaring at her like she didn’t belong.

She wasn’t in for drama, and all she was bothered about was the welfare of her younger brother. As she walked into the spacious room, Ashley couldn’t help but feel impressed at the interior of the room; it was designed to look like a home. There were so many enhanced amenities like flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi connectivity, and entertainment systems.

The room also had a private bathroom, comfortable furniture, and personalized services such as dedicated nursing staff and personalized meal options, with additional services such as a spa. It was indeed no different than a hotel; she couldn’t help but feel grateful to Dante.

As Ashley left the hospital to grab a few things from her apartment, she walked down a quiet hallway when someone yanked her ponytail from behind, dragging her into the shadows.

She shivered in fear as his strong scent hit her nostrils, recognizing who it belonged to. Ashley knew the devil was here. “Let go of me!” Her voice was muffled with his hand as she struggled helplessly in his grip.

“Shut the hell up,” he hissed loudly as he viciously threw a brutal slap across her face, causing her to spit out blood.

Ashley trembled as she curled up like a worm on the ground; beads of cold sweat were forming on her forehead as he approached her. She could swear she saw the malicious smirk on his face.

He knelt beside her, pulled a gun from under his coat, and pressed it against her stomach. She whimpered, pleading through tears, “Please! Please!”

“I see that little brat survived,” he sneered as he surveyed the hospital premises.

“What do you want from me? I already sent all the money.” Ashley’s voice cracked.

Kairo laughed darkly, his eyes roaming around her body. “Who are you to question me? I can do whatever I want,” he said, grabbing a handful of her hair.

He growled. “Come with me, bitch.” Kairo yanked her to her feet. As she walked out of the premises with Kairo closely behind her, she could only pray he wouldn’t hurt her.

Kairo opened the door for Ashley to get in when she heard a voice call out to her from behind. “Ashley!” As she turned around, she saw Dante, and she didn’t know why she felt a wash of relief immediately.

Kairo froze, and his grip on her loosened. His eyes dropped to Dante’s hand, where the silver ring with crossed daggers gleamed under the sun, and recognition struck instantly.

Without a word, Kairo released her and jumped into his car, tires screeching as he sped off into the distance.

Ashley stood frozen, her legs feeling like jelly; her body quivered as she ran into Dante’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, forgetting everything for a moment. “Thank goodness you came right on time; he would have taken me.”

Dante didn’t say a word as he gently stroked her hair, letting her cry freely. “I’m here, Ash,” the name slipped out of his lips just like old times.

After she calmed down, he took her back to her place to grab a few things. He waited outside while she stepped into the apartment.

Ashley walked into the house and found her father doing what he did best—drowning himself in bottles of stout. Four empty ones littered the table beside him, and he was halfway through the fifth.

She clenched her fists, trying to suppress the rage boiling inside her. Without a word, she turned and walked into her room, moving quickly to grab a few of her belongings. She planned to stay with Tristan until he recovered.

Suddenly, Mr. Kingsley stumbled into her room. “Where are you coming from, and where is that little brat, huh?” he slurred as he came close to her.

His breath made Ashley scrunch up her face in disgust; he was reeking of alcohol as if he had taken a bath in it. “Tristan got shot!” Ashley yelled at him.

“Shot?” He blinked dumbly. “Why didn’t he die? As if he hasn’t caused this family enough trouble already,” he snorted, letting out a bitter laugh.

Ashley gritted her teeth, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. She couldn’t believe the man standing in front of her was her father. “You make me sick! You should be ashamed to call yourself a father.”

Mr. Kingsley threw a heavy slap on her face.

The impact caused Ashley to crash onto the bed. She struggled to get up, and Mr. Kingsley used the opportunity to grab her by the neck.

“How dare you, little slut! Do you have a death wish?” Her vision blurred. She gasped, hands clawing at his arms, her lungs screaming for air.

Just then, Dante came from behind and grabbed Mr. Kingsley, yanking him off Ashley. Before he could react, a heavy punch was thrown at him, causing him to fall to the ground. Dante snatched the opportunity to turn him into a punching bag.

“How dare you lay your hands on her! You filthy old bastard!”

“Dante! Please calm down. Don’t kill him.” She got scared and quickly went to grab his arm, but Dante shoved her gently aside, lost in rage.

Punch after punch rained down.

“Please, Dante! He doesn’t deserve to die in your hands,” she shouted frustratingly, a drop of tears falling down her cheek.

This made Dante finally let go of Mr. Kingsley, who was bleeding from his nose; from the look of things, it seemed as if Dante had successfully shifted his jaw.

Breathing heavily, Dante stepped back. Mr. Kingsley lay on the floor, face bloodied.

Dante turned to Ashley, his gaze piercing daggers. “Grab your stuff, Ashley; you’re not staying here another second,” he commanded, and Ashley found herself taking a few of her things.

Without hesitation, Ashley obeyed. She snatched her bag and took her mother’s picture from the wall, one of the few things in the house that still brought her peace.

The drive back to the hospital was in silence. When they finally pulled up outside, Dante looked at her. “I’ll be back after work, okay?” he said. Ashley nodded, then laughed bitterly.

“Back for what?” she asked, and the car fell silent.

She continued, “Thank you for saving me from that man, from my father, and for moving my brother to a suitable ward. But now you can walk out of my life,” she said coldly.

Ashley unfastened the seatbelt and got out without looking back.

As soon as she was out of sight, Dante picked up his phone and called his driver. “Assign two able men,” he ordered flatly. “I want full-time security around Ashley and her brother.”

Unknown to Dante, a black-tinted car had been watching them all along. The driver dialed a number as Dante’s car disappeared into the distance.

“The license plate has been successfully copied.”