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I Couldn’t
publish date:
2026-09-02 10:21:11**Damian’s pov**
**The Morning After The Ball**
I couldn’t remember the last time I woke up smiling. For a moment, I simply lay there,
staring at the ceiling as warm sunlight poured through the windows of the presidential suite.
There was something different this morning.
Something… lighter. I frowned, because that wasn’t normal. Nothing in my life had felt
light in years, I turned toward the other side of the bed, it was empty. The sheets were cold,
she was gone. A strange disappointment settled in my chest before I could stop it. I sat up
slowly, running a hand through my hair.
“So much for mysterious endings.
”
The room still carried traces of her, a faint floral perfume lingered in the air. One sapphire
earring rested beside the bathroom door, I picked it up carefully. A small smile tugged at the
corner of my mouth. She’d probably be looking for this, my gaze drifted toward the desk.
A single sheet of hotel stationery lay beneath a silver pen, I reached for it. Neat
handwriting greeted me.
“Thank you for reminding me that life can still surprise me.
” No
name, and no phone number. Nothing.
I read the sentence again, then a third time. Most women I’d met would have left a
business card, or a phone number. At least some way for me to find them. But she hadn’t,
she’d walked away expecting nothing.
For reasons I couldn’t explain, I respected that, more than respected it. I folded the note
carefully and slipped it into my wallet. Something told me I wouldn’t be throwing it away,
three sharp knocks echoed through the suite. Only one person knocked like that.
“Come in.
”
The door opened.
“Good morning, Mr. Ashford.
” My assistant, stepped inside carrying a tablet and a garment
bag. His eyes immediately swept across the room, then to the empty side of the bed. One
eyebrow rose.
“I assume your evening was… successful.
”
I gave him a flat look, he wisely dropped the subject.
“You have a board meeting in ninety minutes.
”
“I know.
”
“Your grandfather moved breakfast forward.
”
“Why?”
“He said, and I quote…
” He cleared his throat dramatically.
“‘If my grandson insists on
working himself into an early grave, I’d at least like to feed him first.
’”
Despite myself, I laughed. A genuine laugh, my assistant blinked.
“I haven’t heard that sound in years.
”
“What sound?”
“You laughing.
”
“I laugh.
”
“No.
”
“I do.
”
“Not at work.
”
I stood and walked toward the window overlooking Manhattan. The city was already
awake, cars filled the streets, and construction cranes dotted the skyline. Everything moved
with purpose, just the way I liked it, control, order, and predictability.
Last night had been none of those things, and somehow… I couldn’t stop thinking about
her.
“Who organized the masquerade guest list?” I asked.
Ethan looked surprised.
“The foundation.
”
“Can we access it?”
“We could.
”
I hesitated. My fingers brushed against the folded note inside my wallet. Then I shook my
head.
“No.
”
“You don’t want me to?”
“If she wanted me to know who she was…
” I looked back toward the empty bed.
would’ve told me.
”
“
…she
Ethan studied me for a moment.
“I’ve worked for you eight years.
”
“And?”
“I’ve never seen you interested in anyone after one night.
”
“I’m not interested.
”
He smiled knowingly.
“If you say so.
”
I ignored him.
Ten minutes later I stepped into a charcoal suit, adjusted my cufflinks, and became
Damian Ashford again, CEO, and future heir. The man everyone expected, the stranger from
last night disappeared behind the same walls I’d spent years building.
Or at least… I thought he had.
*****
The Ashford headquarters dominated Midtown Manhattan. Forty seven stories of steel
and glass. Employees straightened the moment I walked through the lobby.
“Good morning, Mr. Ashford.
”
“Morning.
”
“Good morning, sir.
”
I acknowledged each greeting with a nod, no unnecessary conversation, and no wasted
time, exactly how I preferred it. The executive boardroom overlooked Central Park, by the
time I arrived, every director was already seated, only one chair remained empty.
The one at the head of the table… mine. As I sat down, the doors opened again. Richard
Ashford entered without his usual cane, refusing assistance despite being nearly eighty
years old.
“Good,
” my grandfather announced.
“Everyone’s here.
”
The room immediately fell silent, helooked around before settling his gaze on me.
“Damian.
”
“Grandfather.
”
“You look rested.
”
“I slept well.
”
“Hm.
”
The corners of his mouth twitched.
“I imagine you did.
”
Several board members looked confused.
I narrowed my eyes.
“You know something.
”
“I know many things.
”
He chuckled as he lowered himself into his chair. Then, without another word, he slid a
thick manila folder across the polished conference table toward me. I opened it.
The smile vanished from my face, inside was a legal document. My grandfather’s will, a
single clause had been highlighted in yellow.
“The sole condition for Damian Ashford to inherit Ashford Global Holdings in full is that he
must be legally married before his thirty sixth birthday. Failing this, controlling ownership
shall transfer to Ezra Ashford.
”
I slowly looked up. The room was dead silent, but my grandfather smiled.
“I believe…
” He folded his hands.
“ …it’s finally time we discussed your future. ”
Latest chapter
Signed, Sealed, Seduced? The Screen
TIFFANYI stared at the screen. The image was blurry, but I knew that silhouette. I knew the way she stood. I knew the way she held herself. And the moment Ethan enhanced the image again, there was no room left for doubt.“Ashley.”The name barely left my lips.Damian looked at me.“You’re sure?”I nodded slowly.“I know her.”Ethan zoomed in further. The woman’s face became clearer.It was Ashley.She was sitting in the corner of the hotel room, partially hidden behind the glass partition. Watching. Listening. Waiting.My stomach twisted.“But she left the country with Victor,” I whispered.“This footage was recorded months ago,” Ethan reminded me.I stared at the screen.“So she was there before Damian signed the document.”“Yes.”“And Richard knew.”“Apparently.”I looked at Damian.He hadn’t said a word. His eyes remained fixed on the screen.“Damian.”He finally looked at me.“I don’t remember her being there.”I swallowed.“But she was.”“I know.”“You said you didn’t know Ashle
Signed, Sealed, Seduced? No!
TIFFANY“No.”The word left my mouth before I could stop it.The video was frozen on Damian. His hand was holding a pen. The document lay in front of him. Richard sat across from him. Victor was beside them.I turned toward Damian.“You signed it.”His eyes remained fixed on the screen.“I don’t remember.”“How can you not remember signing something?”“I don’t know.”“You were there.”“I know.”“You heard them talking about me.”“I know.”“You knew the marriage would activate the agreement.”“No.”His voice was immediate.“I didn’t know.”“But you signed something.”“Yes.”“What?”“I don’t know.”I stepped away from him. My chest hurt.“Then what did you sign?”“I don’t know.”“Damian!”“I don’t know!”His voice echoed through the room. He looked as shaken as I felt.“I remember meeting them,” he said. “I remember Richard giving me a document. I remember signing something because he told me it was a corporate authorization.”My eyes burned.“And you didn’t read it?”“I did.”“Then how
Signed, Sealed, Seduced? Look Away
TIFFANYI could not look away from the page.My signature.On a document I had never seen.On an agreement I had never signed.And a message asking me to find out where Damian had been three months before our wedding.Slowly, I lifted my eyes.Damian was staring at the same page.His face had gone completely still.“Where were you?” I asked.He didn’t answer immediately.“Three months before our wedding,” I repeated.“Tiffany.”“Where were you?”His jaw tightened.“I don’t remember.”I laughed once.It wasn’t funny.“You don’t remember?”“It was months ago.”“You remember everything.”His eyes met mine.“You remember business meetings from years ago. You remember contracts, dates, numbers, people’s names.”I pointed at the document.“And now you don’t remember where you were when someone forged my signature?”“I said I don’t remember.”The words hit harder than they should have.I stepped back.“Did you know about this?”“No.”“Did you know Bennett Interiors was being transferred?”“N
Signed, Sealed, Seduced? Spoke My
TIFFANYNobody spoke.My name.On the file.Not Bennett Interiors.Not Ashford Group.Not the merger.Me.I stared at Ethan.“Why would an agreement involving a company be filed under my name?”“I don’t know.”Damian took a step forward.“Where is it?”“Richard’s private archive.”“Take me there.”Ethan hesitated.“It’s secured.”Damian’s expression hardened.“Then open it.”“Damian—”“Now.”Ethan nodded.I followed them.The archive was in a private section of the penthouse I had never seen before.A hidden door opened behind one of the bookshelves.I stopped.“You have a secret archive?”Damian glanced at me.“My grandfather does.”“That’s worse.”He almost smiled.Almost.But the tension in the room swallowed it.We walked inside.There were rows of locked cabinets, folders, boxes and documents.Ethan moved toward one of the cabinets.“Here.”He pulled out a thick file.The label was simple.TIFFANY BENNETT.My stomach turned.Damian reached for it.I grabbed his wrist.“Wait.”He
Signed, Sealed, Seduced? Several Seconds
TIFFANYFor several seconds, I couldn’t move. I stared at the message on my phone until the words blurred.Your father didn’t sell Bennett Interiors to Victor.He sold it to Ashley.My fingers tightened around the phone.Ashley.The woman who had spent weeks trying to destroy my marriage.The woman who had attacked Bennett Interiors.The woman who had somehow known things about my family that even I hadn’t known.The woman who had been watching me.The woman who had appeared beside my father.I looked at Damian. He was standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable as he stared at the photograph Ethan had pulled up on the computer.My father.Victor Hale.Richard.Ashley.All standing together.Six months before my wedding.Six months before Richard ever approached me with the marriage proposal.My stomach twisted.“How could Ashley own any part of Bennett Interiors?” I whispered.Ethan looked at me.“We don’t know that she does.”“But someone just told me she does.”“That doesn’
Signed, Sealed, Seduced? Stop Staring
TIFFANYI couldn’t stop staring at the photograph.“Who is that?”Damian zoomed in.“I don’t know.”“Ethan might.”He immediately called him.“Who is the man in the photograph?”There was a pause.Damian’s expression changed.“You’re sure?”Another pause.“Send me everything you have.”He ended the call.“Who is he?”Damian looked at me.“His name is Victor Hale.”My stomach tightened.“The same Victor Hale from the earlier photograph?”“Yes.”The man who had been connected to Ashford Group.The man whose photograph had appeared during the first scandal.“What does he have to do with Bennett Interiors?”“We’re about to find out.”We drove back to Bennett Interiors.This time, I barely noticed the journey.My mind was stuck on Richard’s letter.Six months before the marriage.A third party.Victor Hale.Ashley.My father.There was something connecting all of them.Something I’d never known about.When we arrived, Ethan was already waiting outside.He approached Damian immediately.“I
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