05

She had reached the living room with her suitcase and sat down on a very luxurious ottoman near the fireplace, which soon led her to imagine scenes involving the owner of all this. She pictured him sitting right there near the warmth radiating from the gorgeous fireplace that looked like it belonged in a movie, but then the thought took a slightly perverted turn in a way she couldn't bear herself. She shook her head to clear out that entire dark whirlwind that was already unrolling like a parchment at her feet.

It wasn't right, nor would it ever be, even looking at it from another perspective, because from whichever angle you viewed it—no matter which—it was wrong to think of that man in an intimate way. She began to study her surroundings as if she had never been there before. The truth was that nothing had changed, and it wasn't as if it had been that long since she last visited the place—hardly a year and a half, perhaps, since she had last set foot in the mansion. For the most part, some things were different, but overall everything was extremely well preserved. From the largest to the smallest detail, luxury was present in every corner, and she could bear eyewitness to it. She couldn't stop looking at and studying everything surrounding her. She remained awestruck and open-mouthed at the opulence present and the striking atmosphere you could feel. It also made her feel a bit small and subdued.

She took a breath of air and began typing mindlessly on her mobile phone. She was merely looking to distract herself somehow, and the only thing she managed to do was use her technological device and start writing a message addressed to Alicia. She knew she should have turned to her first, but instead, she had impulsively gone straight to the father, and now she was crossing her fingers that everything would turn out fine.

She was already shaking like a leaf.

Alicia: Hi, I hope you're doing well, you know that...

So in the text she was about to send, she explained what was happening, writing at least thirty lines, yet it wasn't enough to express everything she wanted to tell her. Therefore, she decided that as soon as she saw her in person, she would talk about everything again and clarify the whole situation in a more understandable way.

She stopped using her phone when she heard a deep, strong voice—that masculine tone that produced an intense effect on her. Just recognizing the familiarity of its pitch made her feel unhinged in a split second, and she swallowed hard. She already felt a deep burning sensation in her cheeks; she felt insecure and could barely breathe at the mere thought that she was minutes away from talking to Ashton, with whom she had little familiarity and for whom, beyond physical attraction, she felt fear because of his harsh and serious appearance. The truth was, every time she had seen him, she viewed him as a fearsome man. Unfortunately, that hadn't changed; she was still looking at him in that profound way.

Now she could be sure of one thing: going to that mansion had been a grave mistake.

True or not, he was about to let her stay there in the mansion. Not that he could refuse, considering it was Hope, his daughter's friend—practically a sister. For some time now, they had been very close, which also added weight to allowing her to be there. He noticed she was nervous and reluctant to reveal the real reason she was asking for help. It had to be a very important matter for her, which was why she wasn't capable of spilling it to just anyone, he assumed in his mind as he approached the young woman once more to help her feel more at ease.

"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me the reason you're here. Forgive me, I was a bit indiscreet in asking. It just strikes me as a bit odd that you're suddenly here, and if you need to stay, do so for as long as you need. Consider this your home starting right now. Tell me everything; I'll let the maid know to prepare a room for you."

"No, I mean, I feel like I need to tell you why I'm here asking for help. Mom kicked me out of the house, and I can't understand why people can be so cruel, even someone so close to you. The truth is, I found out I'm not her legitimate daughter; I'm just her niece, and all this time I believed the ridiculous fairy tale that we were a real family. But it's all been a setup, and I don't even know if this person I am is real. This completely changes everything, I'm sorry," she whispered, wiping her face. She was getting emotional again and couldn't help it. Everything was an intense mess, and she felt a knot in her chest.

The man wasn't going to admit that all of this surprised him and left him a bit baffled, but being aware of the situation made him feel more empathy toward her. He was now certain about letting her stay in the mansion—all the more reason now that she had nowhere else to go. As he thought about what was happening to her, he felt a bit sorry for her.

"I'm sorry, what you're going through is terrible. No one deserves that, and I understand how you must feel finding out something like that overnight. It must be tough and quite difficult to process, but you know you have Alicia and me. We can help you with whatever you want, whatever you need. So don't hesitate to tell me if you just want to stay here or if you need money. Just tell me and I'll give it to you," he added kindly, but to Hope, telling him that felt embarrassing.

It was enough that he let her live there; now she was going to ask him for money too? She couldn't do it; it was too much for her. She sighed deeply and shook her head.

"No, what you're doing is already a lot. I have to sort out that issue myself," she cleared her throat.

"Then, if you need the money," he guessed. She nodded slightly, though she instantly regretted it and shook her head. Too late.

Ashton searched through a drawer and placed a wad of cash at her disposal. Astonished, she couldn't believe what he was handing her. She simply couldn't just accept it, besides, she was going to go into debt. With what she earned at work—a mere pittance—it wouldn't be enough to pay him back. She couldn't accept, so she shook her head. Yes, declining was the right thing to do at that moment if she didn't want to put a noose around her own neck, regardless of the fact that she would be indebted to her friend's father.

"I can't accept this. It would take me an eternity to pay back every single cent. For now, I'll pass. Thank you so much for the intention and for letting me stay. I'll look for a place these days anyway. I don't want to be a bother, let alone an inconvenience."