LOGINASHLEY My eyes locked with Lauren's as she stood frozen in the doorway, her gaze fixed on Jasper's sleeping face.Her jaw dropped, and shock clouded her widened eyes. I could see her hands trembling at her sides, and her toes curled inside her flip-flops.Jasper's words echoed in my head, leaving me in disbelief.Lauren lived in New York? She was dating Jasper too!I gasped and shook my head, unable to believe he was talking about the Lauren I knew.“Did he…” Lauren trailed off.I raised my head in her direction, and our eyes locked.Pain and fear flashed across her eyes before she let out a shaky breath.“What… what is he doing here?” she gasped, rushing into the room.She stopped a few steps away from Jasper, her hands subconsciously gripping her dress.She swallowed and forced a concerned expression before continuing towards him.“I was so absorbed in the series that I didn't notice when he walked past me,” she said with a sigh, rubbing her forehead.She leaned forward and peered
ASHLEY A gasp escaped my lips as Jasper burst into my room, a flower in hand and a smile on his face.I stared at him, my jaw dropping in shock and confusion.He paused and spun around, waving his hand towards the door.“Close the door,” he said.I let out a scoff, my lips twitching into an amused smile.I nodded at the confused maid, then slammed the door shut and marched towards him.“What do you think you're doing here?” I snapped.I tried so hard to sound angry, but I only ended up sounding amused and intrigued.He didn't respond to my question immediately. Instead, he walked over to the armchair and picked up the book I had been reading.“Romance,” he said, glancing at the front cover.“Yes?” I tilted my head to the side. “What's wrong with it?” I asked.He puckered his lips, staring at me with an emotion I couldn't quite make out.“Nothing is wrong with it, but it's quite funny seeing you go around playing with the hearts of the men around you,” he blurted out.I scoffed loudly
ASHLEY "Ashley.""Wake up, Ashley."A voice called out to me from the darkness, forcing me to wake from my deep slumber.My eyes slowly fluttered open, but a sharp light pierced through them. I immediately squeezed them shut, wincing as pain coursed through my body.As I struggled with the pain, a hand gently squeezed my shoulders."Are you okay, Ashley?" The same voice that had called me from the darkness asked again.My eyes flew open, and I quickly turned my head to the side, glancing at the person sitting beside my bed.Lauren let out a sigh of relief. She tried to smile, but I could still see the worry in her eyes.I closed my eyes again, remaining silent as the throbbing pain gradually subsided.When I opened them, Lauren leaned closer and took my hand."It's a good thing you're awake, Ashley. I was so scared that something might have happened to you," she said.The last moments before I collapsed flashed through my mind, sending another jolt of fear through my body. I shivered
ASHLEY “ I don't trust Skylar,” I muttered, and the line went dead.I let out a sigh and dragged my feet to the window, watching the entire city laid out in front of me.What if Skylar betrays me?What if he chooses his family over justice?He was a Morgan. No matter what I meant to him or how he treated me, he would forever remain a Morgan, which meant he would always protect his family.As I turned around to get a snack, a thought crossed my mind.I rushed towards the drawer and took out the apple pendant necklace, examining it.The image of the necklace around Margaret's neck flashed through my mind.“There are only two of these in the world,” I whispered, gripping the necklace tightly.I sucked in a deep breath and dropped the necklace before turning around to reach for my phone.I quickly dialed Margaret's number and waited as the phone rang.The moment the call connected, I pressed the phone to my ear, waiting for her voice.“Hello?”My stomach turned the moment her voice drift
SKYLAR“She wants to meet Jaime,” I whispered under my breath as I pulled the phone from my ear.“Ashley?” Jacobee spoke.“Hmm,” I muttered, my fist clenching beside me.“What does she want?” Jacobee asked.I parted my lips to answer but stopped.“I heard you met Ashley at the station,” I said.From the corner of my eye, I saw his lips twitch into a smile. I narrowed my gaze in suspicion, my face tightening into a frown.“Yes, I just helped her avoid the reporters,” he said, struggling to hide the sudden smile on his face.“Nothing happened?” I asked.He raised his brows in confusion.“Why are you so curious though?” he cackled.I stared at him for a moment, then turned my gaze away, reaching for the glass of whiskey in front of me.I wondered why Ashley was suddenly interested in Jaime Morgan.Did she find out about his history with her mother? Or was this about her obsession with Kourtney?I sighed, wondering whether to carry out her request and set up a meeting between her and Uncl
ASHLEY I hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open.The silent living room greeted me the moment I stepped into the house.I tossed my head around, staring coldly at the picture frames hanging on the walls.They had been allowed to keep my father's house.Ever since I became the CEO of the company, we had barely crossed paths again. She never called, nor did her children or any other members of the family.I wondered why she was suddenly calling me now, claiming it was something important.I suspected she wanted to talk about the inheritance again. Perhaps she wanted me to transfer some of my inheritance to her children.If that was why she had called me, then she was wasting her time.I would make them all pay for hurting me all these years. None of them would benefit from my wealth, not even the youngest of them.I turned around when I heard footsteps on the staircase.I was still standing in the middle of the living room, staring at the family photograph hanging on the w
ASHLEY My mouth widened and so did my eyes as embarrassment and shock fought for a space on my face.Father? The man I cursed at in the elevator was Jasper's father?!I couldn't breathe for the minutes I stared at his face and when I finally caught my breath and senses back, I wheezed and coughed
ASHLEY My heart clenched when he said those words, but slowly my lips slanted into a smile, and my shoulders stiffened so hard that I felt pain hit me there. I composed before spinning around to face him. The man's eyes were still on him, pleading silently that I don't bring out that phone to ca
ASHLEY I slowly looked down from where I was standing and saw Skylar but he wasn't alone. His mom was standing right before him."I don't know what you're talking about!” Skylar spat at his mom.Her lips twitched up in anger and she released a scoff."Really? Did you fall in love with her so much
ASHLEY I diverted my mind to the make-out session I had with Skylar a few minutes ago when I walked into the bathroom. I walked to the bathtub and dipped into the warm water, closing my eyes as the water covered me up. I leaned in and released a sigh, feeling a tingling sensation crawling over my







