I pulled out my ring and held it in front of him. "I'm calling off our engagement. I won't - won't marry a cheating bastard like you. You can live happily ever after with someone else, like Blair Anderson. Smile, Jayden - you're finally getting rid of me, may you live happily ever after with your dear girlfriend." I said with a fake smile and cold eyes. "Oh, and before I forget, I, Ashley Van Smith, of the Red Moon Pack, reject Jayden Ronan Keller, of the Crimson Pack, as my mate and fiancé, we are hereby no longer related." ******************************************** In which Ashley Van Smith and Jayden Ronan Keller are mated and engaged. Because of the arranged marriage made by their parents. Problems arise when Ashley finds out that Jayden is involved in an unfaithful relationship. Ashley never thought that she would be in a relationship with a cheater. So she wants to end this engagement because he cheated on her, but fate decides to intervene and Jayden suffers from amnesia that only she seems to be able to deal with. Ashley, despite not having deep feelings for him, feels there is still a bond between them and has a sense of responsibility to help recover his memory and guide him through his difficult times. In the midst of her efforts to help Jayden recover, Ashley is faced with a difficult decision. Will she stay by his side and help him through this difficult time, even though Jayden is in love with someone else? Or should Ashley simply let Jayden go?
View MoreAshley POV
It was an impulse decision that meant I had to follow my best friend who had a spare ticket because her other friend was sick. Her seat was one of the most expensive, almost in front of the stage. She was a huge fan, the type who buys everything related to the boy band, even seemingly useless things like paperweights. That was her biggest idol the one and only, Jayden Ronan Keller.My worst nightmare right in front of my eyes — Oh, and also my mate and fiancé.Of course, she didn't know that last part. Nobody does, or I wouldn't be standing in one of the front rows, still breathing. She only knew about my family and Jayden's long-standing relationship and that we often celebrated holidays together. Some media had reported about us because I was supposedly the heir to Red Moon Inc., the huge international company owned by my late grandfather, Alpha Eros Van Smith of the Red Moon Pack, and well, he was Jayden R. Keller, the personnel of the boy band "Boyz Hits Bullets aka BHB", the "Golden Man", the "Hunkiest and Sweetest" guy, the "Idol sought after by 9 different entertainment agencies", every girl's secret wet dream - yes, I had heard it all from my best friend and her friends. To be honest, it was too much information.Actually, Jayden and I have known each other since we were kids. Both of our parents know each other, and we often go on vacations or family gatherings together. Jayden is the youngest son of Alpha Roger Keller of the Crimson Pack.For me, he will be the boy who will always ignore me at family gatherings and pry into everything I like. He'll also be the kid who always looked the other way when Hannah and her pets bullied me from first grade until graduation.At least that's what I thought before I saw him on stage, in person, for the first time. Suddenly, I found it hard to believe that I'd ever met him outside of the concert arena - or that I knew him at all.His hair was freshly dyed and cut, he was probably wearing more makeup than I was, and he was probably wearing tight trousers on purpose. He moved with a grace that could only come with practice and practice and more practice, and he sang and danced with gusto, with more power than I could muster sitting down. We were both the same age, 20 years old and yet I realized that he had truly and undoubtedly reached the best times of his life. He wasn't a boy anymore.And to be honest, it scared me.When the song ended, deafening screams and thunderous applause echoed throughout the stadium. Grimacing and covering my ears, I watched as the lights on the stage quickly dimmed, obscuring the view of Jayden and the other six members. Just when I thought it was safe to relax, a new song started, causing screams and yells to erupt again - especially from my right, where my best friend and her friends were standing. I didn't understand what was going on until a spotlight in the center of the stage illuminated the shape of a person.Jayden raised the microphone to his lips and began to sing.All I could do was stare, mesmerized by his performance. There was such passion and emotion in his voice and face - even the way his fingers sometimes flexed and relaxed around the microphone fascinated me. Mostly it surprised me.All my life, growing up with him, he had never shown any particular emotion. More often he was stiff, reserved, or even cynical. But in that moment, as he danced and sang on stage, he seemed as vulnerable as he had ever been. I only got to see such a performance once.He finished the song with a few lingering notes and a final dance move that matched the beat. The lights had dimmed, but in the darkness I could see the lines of his slender body against the backdrop. I stared in amazement, savoring the sensual curve of his lips, his half-closed eyes, and the sweat dripping down his temples and neck. I caught a glimpse of the boy who once had a nose too big for his face, but that image was quickly replaced by the man I and ten thousand other pairs of eyes could see. He was very handsome.By the end of the concert, my ears were almost deaf. My best friend and her friends were in tears and their voices were hoarse from screaming. They had recorded the entire concert with my best friend's very expensive camera, and when I finally left the stadium, they were frantically searching for the moment when one of the band members - I think his name was Jean - blew them a kiss from the stage during one of the songs. The three of them shared a YouTube channel entirely dedicated to this group and were already talking about editing, who they were going to annoy on the Internet by uploading the entire concert, and so on and so on.I exhaled loudly. My phone screen showed 22:34. I could still call my parents' driver, but I didn't want to make a scene. There were still a lot of people gathered in the exit area, and in case they recognized me. Although I was dressed very casually, I had no doubt that some people would put two and two together if they saw a girl my age leaving a boy band concert and getting into a very nice car with a private driver. Really, I didn't need any more media to cover my relationship with Jayden, even though we were already engaged.That was one of the conditions Jayden had set from the beginning. I looked at my best friend, Eva. "Eva, I thought you said you were going to call your mom."She looked up at the camera and smiled shyly. The orange light from the streetlamp overhead made her brown eyes sparkle and her light brown hair shine. "Sure, I just need to see it again." She furrowed her brow. "I can't believe you've never been to one of their concerts. I guess your parents and his parents get along." She held up two fingers and crossed them."Well, they do," I said reluctantly. "Not that he and I are. He has no reason to make me come to the concert anyway."In fact, Jayden had often tried to get me to stay away. He said there was nothing special about it and that the shows often failed due to carelessness and technical errors. He even claimed that they didn't really care about their fans and that it was very tense and uncomfortable to watch them perform. Come to think of it, I was actually very suspicious when I saw how the concert went. Of course, they had started the whole thing with makeup and expensive outfits, but they constantly had interludes where they talked to the audience and thanked them and each other. The show ended with them just wearing T-shirts - albeit with their own logo - and holding a microphone. It all felt very honest in the end, and up until then, the production values were very high, with good sound, lights, scenes that could go up and down, and more."Still," she says. "It's just weird, considering your relationship.""It is," I admitted. He could be rude - very, very rude - but I never thought of him as a liar. "Maybe I should ask him why he never invited me."Hearing this, Eva's friends stopped fiddling with the camera options. "How? Oh my God, do you have his number?" they shouted almost in unison.I was tempted to punch one of them when I saw a couple of girls turn their heads to see why they were yelling. Eva quickly calmed them both down."Shut up, you two. Ash, still, right?" Eva asked incredulously."No," I replied with a snort. "But I'll go backstage or whatever and look for him."For a moment the three were silent. But then they opened their mouths and burst out laughing."What?" I asked."Good luck getting past the security," Eva's friend said in a breathless voice. "I mean, really. Good luck.""Yeah, it's not like anyone else has ever tried," the other friend laughed. "Not at all."I frowned. "I'm just telling you, I'm friends with one of the members.""Guys," Eva said after they had another bout of invisible fairy laughter that clearly missed you with her wand. "I don't think she understands."I crossed my arms. "Obviously I don't understand.""It's okay," she said. "Just let her go. It's funnier that way.""Good idea," the other said. "Ashley, we'll wait here, don't worry."Eva was still giggling as she spoke. "It's no use," she said. "Think how many times fans have tried to get backstage, lying that they're cousins or something. You'll just be one of thousands of crazy people. Besides," she added a little more quietly so I could hear her, "the media will get it, somehow. How many times have you not complained that you wish you could change your life with someone else?"It was a valid point. But her friends had hurt my pride, and now I almost felt like I had to prove them wrong."Yes, but since I can't, I'd better accept it," I replied as I turned and started to walk away from the girls. "I'll be back soon.""Good luck!" one of them said sarcastically, making all three of them laugh.I wanted to show them. Deciding not to sound like a typical fan-stalker, I made up a lie. It wasn't too hard to convince one of the guards in the exit area to let me in to look for the missing key. He followed me, and while I pretended to search, I kept an eye out for signs backstage. There were some cleaners already at work, and a few people with badges around their necks walking around checking the cables, but otherwise, the stadium was empty, and I couldn't ask any of them where the artists were."I probably dropped them in the women's bathroom," I said to the guard after a minute or two of fruitless conversation with the janitor.He nodded. "Let's check there."Fortunately, I had visited the bathroom before the concert, which was next to a set of sturdy-looking gray metal doors. I knew the door was locked because my friend had tried to open it to no avail. However, my last chance was to find Jayden on the way out of the stadium, and maybe those doors were the way out of the backstage area. I knew it was an almost absurd thought, but my pride was still hurt and I thought I should give it a try.I didn't see him on the way, and the doors remained closed and probably locked as before. In frustration, I entered the women's restroom and took one last look at the gray door.Someone was in one of the stalls. I went to the sink to wash my hands, to do something while I felt more and more embarrassed. My keys were burning in the breast pocket of my jacket, so at least the lie would have a happy ending.Through the mirror, I saw a short girl with brown curls coming out of the stall behind the sink. At first I didn't understand why there was something strange about her, but then I realized.And suddenly my feelings dropped to earth.She is Blair Anderson, an artist, and singer, as well as a model for one of the gogirls magazines! For this season's edition. Beautiful as the moon with a silky voice and a bright, optimistic personality, and a smile that could melt iron. Everyone has heard of her. She rose to fame faster than Selena thanks to the movie "Her Secret Legacy" and I know she became an "It" icon in Hollywood.Blair wasn't just in the bathroom at the stadium where the boy band Boyz Hits Bullets had just performed. She's wearing his jacket — and no, not the one he wore on stage, but the personalized one he wore to a New Year's Eve party with my family almost a month ago. And most obviously, she was wearing the necklace I bought for his graduation. Moreover, His scent wafted strongly from her.My inner wolf began to growl. Something amiss had happened, as if to confirm my suspicion, Lea, My inner wolf roared, 'He has cheated on us, our mate has cheated on us.'That son of a bitch had been cheating on me.Ashley POVMy name slipped out of his chapped lips in a whisper, like the soft flutter of wings. His voice sounded so hesitant, so skeptical, so flustered, I was not sure what to say to him back. So, I chose to nod, then lowered my gaze to the dirty floor.“What are you doing here?”“I came to see you,” I muttered.“Why?”His tone was hard to guess. Partly because he spoke so quietly that I could barely hear him over the beating of my own heart, which had regained its beat, thankfully. And partly because I was so scared and anxious to answer, I felt sick.“Because...” I cleared my throat, still refusing to look at him. Tears welled up in my eyes, like strong alcohol in my throat. “Because,” I tried again, though my voice broke.“Did something happen to your parents? Or my brother?”I couldn't believe how calm and collected he was. Despite my temptation to look at him, at least to catch a glimpse of his face, I knew I couldn't hold myself back from crying if I locked eyes with his gaze
Ashley POVI could barely breathe as I talked to the man who was also the owner of the karaoke bar at the front desk. He said a man who was about my age and had his face covered by a mask was somewhere in the back of the building, but he forced me to rent a room of my own before letting me into the karaoke bar. Money was not a problem. I would gladly pay ten... no, no, a hundred times as much if the owner asked for it.A glimpse over my shoulder showed that Miles was still waiting outside on the street, watching me through the double glass doors. He stood with his hands in his pockets and nodded after I waved my hand. He stayed even as I headed deeper into the building, and I was the first to slip out of range.No matter how the conflict between Jayden and me turns out, I will forever be indebted to Miles. Because he was the one who woke me up. Even if Eva had tried, she wouldn't have been as blunt and assertive as Miles in talking about this matter. She would have given up, knowing m
Ashley POVI stared at him with an incredulous look on my face. “You couldn't be serious could you,” I whispered.“I'm dead serious,” he told me solemnly, his sharp, dark eyes looking at me intently. “As soon as you were out of sight, Jayden...” I flinched at the mention of his name, “...tried to chase after you like crazy. Hunter and Tyler jumped on him, though it wasn't until Clark, our manager, and a few other managers came to help that we were able to stop him.” Miles sucked in a deep breath and stared out the window. “If it wasn't for Jax and a slap from Jamie, Jayden would've gotten you. And who knows what would have happened to either of you if he had.”Then, he was silent for a while, surely waiting for a reaction or answer from me, but I didn't react. He scratched the back of his head restlessly just before going on, his tone grave.“We managed to convince him to head back to the styling and hair and makeup team since there was still a show to do. Next, Clark went to find Bla
Ashley POVTo tell the truth, I regretted my decision as soon as I got out of the car. But his piercing, dark eyes caught mine from the second floor before I could find the nerve or perhaps, the sanity to run. So, despite feeling as if every step was through a bed of quicksand, every breath felt as if it were swallowing oil, and my heart was racing as if I was galloping as if my life was at stake, I had no other choice but to go inside that damn building.“Serenity” is a café and bakery concept with a large selection of vegan menu items that directly blend into the non-vegan menu. How someone would make cheesecake without cheese baffled me enough to make me order it from the front desk along with a large iced latte. I made my way around the round tables scattered throughout the rustic bistro, excusing myself when it became too crowded amongst the patrons.Miles sat down, alone, next to one of the windows on the second floor that was rarely visited by people. He looked rather casual an
Ashley POV“Ash?” There were a few knocks on the door, followed by Eva's voice. “My mom is here right now. I have to go now, but I will call you later!”“Yeah, bye!” I croaked absentmindedly. I couldn't take my eyes off the phone screen.“You'd better get going... I saw Jared come out of his dressing room half a minute ago. He's probably smoking outside.”My mouth moved spontaneously. “Okay, thanks for telling me.”“Ash...” She hesitated, and then I could hear a small thud on the door as it slid half a centimeter into view. The next line sounded behind the painted wooden surface. “You're totally gorgeous today. I mean, you're always lovely in my opinion, but, well... I just wanted to say it one more time before I go.”Her compliment felt warm, but I was still too frozen in shock to smile. “You will be late for practice,” I said further in a teasing tone.She didn't answer right away, as if I could hear her thoughts from behind the door. Letting out a long breath, I said calmly, “What'
Ashley POVJared reached out and shook Samuel’s hand without even blinking. That surprised me, considering Samuel’s old injury, but Jared’s grip was firm and smooth.“Jared Keller,” he said with a hint of a smile. “And I’m sure the best wedding photographer in the city is more than capable of taking a few photos of me and my fiancée.”His voice, usually cold and even, actually sounded warm this time— nothing like the sharp tone he usually used with me. But that didn’t bother me. Not one bit.Because I knew Jared. I knew that when he wanted to, he could charm anyone— regardless of gender. That cool, intimidating aura of his didn’t stop him from flipping a switch and turning into the smoothest guy in the room.And honestly? The fact he was using that tone with someone other than me or Eva? It was kind of a relief.When Jared talked like that, people couldn’t help but feel confident, maybe even proud— like they mattered. Like Jared saw something special in them, even if they barely knew
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