The humiliation never ends.

Duke’s POV

Seeing Ashley who crouched down on the floor, humiliated and embarrassed breaks my heart. I hate that she still believed that Kane might consider giving her a job. It's obvious now that they all have neglected her, even her mother.

She calls her mother every day but Amal never picks up or even returns the calls or text messages.

It reminds me of the time I left my father's house to pursue my dream. I have always wanted to have a business of my own, I didn't mind taking over my father's company. I wanted to do things my own way, but he wants things to be done in his way, any other way is wrong.

“I have been in this position longer than you have. If you don’t do it my way, then let it be.”

He doesn’t trust me with his company.

“We need to pay more attention to this part, Dad, or else all we do is for waste.”

“What happened to the funds I gave you for that?”

“You gave me five hundred thousand dollars for a project that cost more than two million dollars.”

“If you can’t replenish the little that was given to you, how do you intend on taking this company to a greater level?”

I came to understand that my father and I would never be on the same page, so I had to leave.

“I can’t hand over my company to you when you’re not ready, Duke.”

“I’m not asking you for your company.”

“Duke, you can’t just wake up one morning and leave and decide to leave your family. What about all you have worked for in your father’s company?”

“My work there is in vain Mom, I can’t do anything without him judging or degrading my decisions Mom.”

After the heated argument, I left the house. Since then, I have never spoken to my parents again, my mom comes to check up on me once in a while, not my father.

I had many failed start-up attempts with my company, and my father openly mocked me, but I never paid attention to his cruelty. One time, my project was successful, and now, I own the biggest and powerful company in the whole world.

Seeing how my family has treated and abandoned me, I kept my identity a secret from the whole world, except my assistant, Santiago. He’s the visible front and I’m the hidden power.

After I met Ashley at the bar that night I knew it was my second chance to be with her. I’ve been in love with her since high school.

I had asked her to be my prom date back then in high school, but she declined because she had to go on a business trip with her dad.

Ashley wasn’t the social type, she was to herself, a beautiful brunette brainiac.

Most especially, her body is a hard thought to get past. Her curvy hips, flat tummy, perfect shaped lips that I always want to suck on, her full dark hair that I want to hold with my hands as she’s sucking my dick. I can’t stop having dirty thoughts about the things I wasn’t to do to her.

The only way to comfort Ashley at this point was to give her something to do, so she would be distracted and forget about that useless five percent inheritance.

I know that Kane and his mother just want to waste, toying with Ashley, but anyhow Ashley sees the bad in everyone, including the wicked ones.

We went home, she stopped crying, and got her bath. After she had finished eating, we sat, she lay her head on my shoulder, in the parlor to watch a documentary.

“Uhm, Ashley, I was thinking about something."

“Yeah?”

“Maybe you should write a business proposal, and I can submit it to my boss for you.”

She sits up and looks at me with surprise in her eyes.

“You would do that for me?”

“Yeah of course, he wouldn’t mind.”

“Your boss? What's he like?”

“Not restrictive, just gentle and very handsome.”

“You’re not gay, are you?”

“No I'm not, why would you ask?”

“You said he’s handsome, you wouldn't be paying attention to his facial features if you’re gay.”

“Ohh, well I’m not.”

“Oh, well forget I asked. Oh, I should start working on my project. Thank you so much Duke.”

Ashley pushed herself up from the crouch and rushed to the room. I’m glad this worked, it would keep her business. I got a call for Santiago and my attention was needed at the company.

“Ashley I have to rush out, to a friend’s place, I’ll be back before night but don’t wait up.”

I can ask Santiago to find out what he can about Kane and the Cortez Empire. Kane had run the empire down to three percent in less than a week. The company was crumbling.

Ashley wouldn't be happy about this.

“I need to do something about this Kane.”

“Duke, I don’t mean to infringe on your privacy, but I told you it’s a bad idea to get married to Ashley, it’s no help to you or the company.”

“I know that, Santiago. But I don’t need her for the progress of my company, I need to make this marriage work because I love her.”

I vowed to take the company from Kane and return to Ashley as she is the rightful heir.

I was heading back home, and I saw that I had missed my mother’s call five times. Shit, I have to get home.

Ashley’s POV

I was still working on my business proposal after Duke left, I heard a knock on the door, it was the first time we were having a visitor and Duke didn’t mention anyone was going to visit.

I opened the door to see that it was a woman, it was Duke’s mother. I recognize her from the tv, she was always with her husband.

“And who are you?”

“Oh, sorry, uhm, I’m Ashley.”

“I didn’t ask for the name, who are you?”

She sounds really harsh and rude.

“I’m Ashley Cortez.”

“Oh, so you’re the one who dragged my son into your miserable life.”

“Excuse me?”

Duke’s mother didn’t stop there, she called me names, accused me of marrying her son because of his family’s money.

“You are nothing, but a miserable, homeless, pathetic, money-thirsty hoe and slut.”

These words of hers struck me deep into my heart. This is the worst I have been insulted.

Duke banged into the house. Right on time, but it was too late.

“Mom? What did I tell you about coming here without my permission?”

They argued and exchanged words, Duke’s mother told him I was the reason he left his family.

“You know nothing about her. At least she didn’t treat me badly and make me feel worthless like you didn’t.”

He sent her out of the house, I haven’t seen him that furious as he was. His defending me was the sweetest thing, he shouldn’t have spoken rudely to his mother because of me.