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.

reverberated, persistent

heart hammered against her chest, threatening to

hang up. Someone's at

sure you don't reveal

as the call disconnected. Swiftly, she erased the call history and dabbed at her eyes with a

took a deep, steadying breath to calm her

was crucial that her

of him sent a jolt of tension through Ashley, her body stiffening involuntarily. Despite her anxiety, she managed a smile, masking her nerves with feigned

need to talk to you," Kristian stated, his voice a low murmur, his lips barely parting as he clutched a stack of

in." She stepped aside. "Can I get you something to

was unreadable, his eyes

over Ashley. Her guilty conscience fluttered like a trapped bird,

circumstances, he might have chalked it

Freya and Liam having an

anxiety.

the benefit of the doubt. "Is there something you're not

her face a mask of innocence

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

tension melted away, and she exhaled a deep breath of relief. Her shoulders eased, and she flashed him a gentle, comforting smile. "Don't worry. Even if the whole

"Really?"

27.6

"Don't you believe me?"

His demeanor remained guarded, his thoughts impenetrable.

sure."

calm conviction, masking the deceit in her heart. "And

grunted

of unsaid words hanging

ease, her gaze clear and inquisitive as

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

she stammered, her voice laced with

fathom why he was probing into her past now;

have," he stated evenly. "I owe that man my

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 potent mix of guilt and regret