She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Chapter 81

Chapter 81 Ashley Has Been Deceiving You

Gerard barely lingered in the company. With a few swift delegations to the secretarial team, he was out the door.

Weekends were supposed to be for relaxation, but for Gerard, a Sunday was just another day in his relentless schedule.

Kristian, on the other hand, settled into his desk shortly after Gerard's departure.

The office was quieter than usual, a gentle hum of silence filling the space typically buzzing with activity. Like Gerard, Kristian found little difference between weekdays and weekends.

His focus was unyielding as he sifted through documents, his phone's persistent vibration a mere background nuisance until he reached a stopping point. With a nonchalant glance, he finally attended to the insistent device.

The moment he saw the message, a chill ran through him.

The screen displayed several photos of Ashley caught in tender embraces with another man. The accompanying text hit like a cold blade. "Ashley has been deceiving you.'

The message's neutral tone made it hard to discern whether it was sent by a man or a woman. Kristian, his curiosity piqued and a knot of anxiety in his stomach, immediately dialed the mysterious number to unearth the origins of these unsettling photos and to understand the implications behind them.

He examined each photo with meticulous attention, confirming to himself they were genuine, untouched by digital manipulation.

Upon making the call, he was met with the cold, impersonal announcement from a mechanical female voice declaring the number was invalid.

A crease formed between his eyebrows as he pondered this dead end, his mind racing back to a similar scenario that had been the talk of the town not long ago.

Driven by a sudden urge, Kristian snatched his phone and jacket from the back of his chair and stormed out of the office, determined to confront Ashley directly at her place.

Meanwhile, Ashley was in the midst of a tense conversation, her face a mask of fear, her voice quivering with nervous energy "I never thought he'd side with Liam Shaw over me. You can't hold this against me," she stammered into the phone, her words dripping with worry and regret.

The voice on the other end rebuked her sharply. "You know well the repercussions of jeopardizing my plans."

Ashley's grip on her phone tightened, her entire body shaking as tears streamed down her face, fear manifesting more palpably than ever before.

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Chapter 81 Ashley Has Been Deceiving You

She opened her mouth to plead her case when a sudden, insistent knock at the door interrupted her.

sound reverberated, persistent and

heart hammered against her chest,

to hang up. Someone's

don't reveal the

trailed off as the call disconnected. Swiftly, she erased the call history and dabbed

deep, steadying breath to calm

it was crucial that her secret remained just that—a secret. As she opened the door, Kristian's tall, daunting silhouette

sight of him sent a jolt of tension through Ashley, her body stiffening involuntarily. Despite her anxiety, she managed a smile,

Kristian stated, his voice a low murmur, his

aside. "Can I get you something to drink?

gaze was unreadable, his eyes a calm, piercing slate as

Her guilty conscience fluttered like a trapped bird, her eyes darting away from his steady

circumstances, he might have chalked it up to health concerns, perhaps a troubling doctor's

having an affair, his trust in her had never been the

betraying her anxiety. "What-What

to give her the benefit of the doubt. "Is there something you're not telling

around the glass of water before her, her face a mask of innocence

voice betraying no emotion. "It's just that Freya has been deceiving me so frequently of late. I'm beginning to fear that

and she flashed him a gentle, comforting smile. "Don't worry. Even if

"Really?"

27.6

"Don't you believe me?"

you." His demeanor remained guarded, his thoughts

sure."

Ashley asserted with a calm conviction, masking the deceit in her heart. "And

grunted

the weight of unsaid words hanging thickly in the

settled into a quiet ease, her gaze clear and inquisitive as she peered across at him. "Anything else?"

my divorce with Freya, I intend to marry you." His tone was dispassionately businesslike as he continued, "Before we move forward, I need to know- have you

"What?" she

probing into her

motions, didn't miss a beat. "If you have," he stated evenly. "I owe

alone. With my Illness looming over me, I couldn't possibly entertain the thought of accepting someone else's affections." She knew the impact her words would have on him, likely stirring a