Ashley is kind of torn about what to do at the moment. Her parents had never asked her to do anything for them; in fact, they have always ignored her and only acknowledged her when they were in public.
Ashley's conflicting emotions were pulling her in different directions. On one hand, she felt a sense of duty towards her parents, wanting to prove herself and gain their approval. On the other hand, she couldn't ignore the deep-rooted resentment that had built up over the years due to their neglect.
Being the adopted and eldest child of the Valencia family, she had no expectations from her parents, but she burdened herself with trying to be up to their standards.
She always tried to be the best at everything. Be kind to others, be prudent, and have good grades. Nothing she did ever made her parents notice her, but she never gave up.
That was probably the reason why she danced with Liam that night. She knew her parents liked the idea that she was scandal-free. It gave people the illusion that the heiress to the Valencia business was scandal-free.
No one knew that she was just a Valencia by name and that, even though she was the eldest of their siblings, she would never inherit the company.
Ashley always felt like her three siblings hated her because they thought she would try to steal their birthright from them. Just like their parents, her younger siblings have always treated her like she doesn’t exist.
She loved her family despite all this, and she keeps hoping that they will one day accept her as part of the family. Even though the last thing she wants to do is approach Liam and try to get him to agree to go along with what the tabloids are saying, she knew she had to do it.
It's not like her parents were only cold to her; they were cold to each other and even to her siblings too. The Valencia siblings were raised to believe that happiness and love could be bought with money.
Their parents were not necessarily kind to her siblings, but they always threw money at them. Every problem they encountered was solved with money. The only thing that kept her going in the lonely and miserable lives of the Valencia's was her love for coding and hacking into software.
She had studied software engineering at NYU, and she was sure that her parents had no idea what she was studying; all they knew was that she didn't study business management, fashion design, or finance. She could remember that her siblings were nice to her for a while after they found out that she was not going to try to fight them for any inheritance.
She still couldn’t be ungrateful to the family that took her in when she was just an orphan, she thought to herself.
She made up her mind that she would find a way to approach him and talk to him the following day.
****next day****Ashley couldn’t help but wish everything was nothing but a dream when she woke up the next morning. She couldn't help but feel like her life was going to turn upside down after that day because she was about to go approach a man and ask for the impossible.
Someone knocked on the door to her room, startling her.
"Hello, Miss Ashley, your father would love to see you in the dining room," Mary, one of the maids that works in her parents mansion, said to her. Mary was the only person who did not treat her like she wasn't in the house.
Even other maids knew that she was just an orphan and not a real Valencia, so they had always been disrespectful to her. Mary, a middle-aged woman, was the only one who was kind to her and also knew about her love for coding.
Mary had always encouraged Ashley's passion for coding, often sharing stories of her own experiences with technology. She believed in Ashley's potential and would often sneak her books and articles on programming. She was also the one who convinced Ashley to study software engineering. Ashley has always doubted herself, and Mary was the only one who believed in her.
"Alright, I will be with him shortly. Also, Mary, when will you start calling me by my name and not miss?" She asked, but Mary just shrugged.
"Here we go," Ashley thought to herself as she saw her father eating alone inside the dining room. If anyone saw Richard Valencia, they would think he was just a frail old man who could do no harm, but he was a conniving and cold man who cared about nothing but himself.
Her father was a tall man with black hair and green eyes. A trait that she surprisingly had. Ashley could very well pass for Richard's daughter, and she would have thought that he was her father if she hadn't seen her adoption records herself..
"So, have you thought about what I told you about yesterday?" He asked coldly, and Ashley gulped.
"Yes, I will go to his office this morning and go from there," I said, because I actually do not have a plan or know what I was going to say to him.
I can't even help but wonder why he has not even tried to deny the whole thing.
"Better, Liam Abbot wouldn't have been my last choice for a husband for you, but he would have to do since you decided to be slutty and flaunt yourself in front of him." He said, looking at me with his cold and unforgiving gaze.
"Well, I have some better places to be."
I sighed in relieve immediately as he left the dining room. I had lost my appetite from my conversation with my father, so I decided to just go get ready for my day.
I received a call almost immediately after I got back to my office.
"Hello, is this Ashley Valencia?" I heard a smooth voice ask me, and I could instantly feel my heart beating fast out of fear.
Liam Abbot was calling me, and I couldn't help but be worried that whatever he was calling for wouldn't be any good.
"Hello, is this Ashley Valencia?" Liam asked immediately, and she picked up the call. Of course, he knew that it was her he was calling. He had done a thorough background check on her and was able to get her number through his private investigator. Ashley's mind raced, wondering what Liam could possibly want from her. She tried to maintain her composure and replied, "Yes, this is Ashley Valencia. How can I help you, Mr. Abbot?" Liam was surprised that she knew that it was him calling, but he hid it. He couldn't help but become more wary of her. "What else does she know, and what is she planning with her father?" He thought to himself, but decided to compose himself and go straight to the reason why he called her. "Well, I was wondering if you could stop my office later today to discuss this predicament that we have both found ourselves in," he said, and Ashley could feel her heart jump. "Uhmm, alright, I will be there in an hour or two," she responded without thinking twice. Liam
Ashley couldn't help but feel offended when she went through the contract and saw that Liam had offered to pay her a total of thirty million dollars if she agreed to the contract. She was okay with clauses like they should stay out of each other's personal lives and that they can date someone else but have to be discreet so as to avoid a scandal. What made her not okay was the fact that Liam thought he could buy her with his money. "I am okay with everything here except for the compensation aspect," she said with a frown on her face. "I am not surprised; how much do you want me to add to it?" Liam said bitterly, but Ashley just ignored him. Liam and Isaac were both surprised when she took a pen from her bag and crossed the part out. "I do not need your money," she said. "So, you are telling me that you would just marry me without getting anything out of it?" Liam asked. "Believe what you want, Mr. Abbot, but not everyone is out to get your money, and I surely am not. Besides, I
Ashley exchanged a glance with Liam, her amusement fading slightly at his cocky response. She couldn't help but wonder if he was truly taking advantage of the situation or if there was something more behind his decision. Nonetheless, she remained silent as Isaac entered the room, ready to finalize the contract.As Isaac began explaining the terms of the contract, she couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that Liam had some ulterior motive for proposing this arrangement. However, with no other viable options and a deep desire to escape her father's controlling grip, she reluctantly picked up the pen and prepared to sign her name on the dotted line.She couldn't help but feel like she was signing her life away as she stared at her copy of the contract, but she couldn't do anything about it. She knew that her father would have arranged her marriage anyway if the scandal hadn't happened.She would rather enter a contract marriage with Liam than get married to an odd man who would be cons
Ashley had been staring at her phone, waiting for the call that Liam told her that he would make to her through his personal assistant, for the past two days since she left his office.Her mind has been a jumbled mess since then, and she just can't help but want to know what to do next. She has been replaying the whole conversation in his office in her head and just hopes that all this is a joke.She knows it isn't, though, and she is still worried about whatever he was going to say to her. As the days passed, Ashley's anxiety grew. She couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty and the fear of what Liam's call might bring.She can't help but think about the potential consequences of her contract with Liam, especially if the media finds out that they got into a contract marriage. Despite her best efforts to distract herself, she couldn't escape the nagging question: What next?"Would she have to move in with him or will she stay with her parents?As much as Ashley was scared at the
Ashley contemplated not going to the meeting, but she decided that she had to. After all, she had signed a contract with Liam stating that she was going to follow him to any necessary meetings.She also knows that this might be quite important for him, so she had to prepare if she wanted to be a good fake partner for him."I think I should call Ethan and ask him who the person Liam was meeting is," she thought to herself. She didn't want to look all clueless like arm candy at the meeting.She doesn't need much time to dress up anyway. She never liked make-up, so all she had to do was just look for proper attire suited to the type of people that she and Liam were going to meet and the location."Hello Ethan, sorry for bothering you, but who is Liam meeting today and where is the meeting? I want to do my research before the meeting so that I won't be totally clueless," she said immediately. He picked up her call."Oh, hello, Miss Valencia. The person Mr. Abbot is meeting is Alexander Ro
Liam knows that cutting Ashley off and springing this on her out of nowhere was an asshole move, but he couldn't seem to be able to stop.He could tell that his words and actions were hurting her, but he also felt like she deserved it. After all, they wouldn't be in this mess if she hadn't planned and created the damn scandal.He also couldn't stop thinking about the conversation he had with the strange lady who had been waiting for him outside the door when he got there. She had introduced herself as Mary, and he could tell that Mary genuinely cared about Ashley.He had gotten out of the car and was about to go knock on the door when she approached him.Liam's conflicted emotions were tearing him apart. On one hand, he recognized the pain he was causing Ashley, yet on the other hand, he couldn't shake off the feeling that she somehow deserved it due to her involvement in the scandal.As he replayed his encounter with Mary in his mind, her genuine concern for Ashley puzzled him even m
Ashley couldn't help but feel anxious as she walked towards the restaurant with Liam beside her. She didn't know what exactly the deal between Mr. Ross and Liam was, but she was worried that Mr. Ross would greet her as if he knew her.A waitress was waiting for them when they entered."Hello, Mr. Abbot and Miss Valencia, your table is ready. Mr. and Mrs. Ross will be with you shortly," the waitress said, smiling at Ashley, and she smiled back.Liam couldn't help but be appalled by the exchange because it was obvious the waitress was trying to flirt with Ashley with the looks she was giving her.Liam could tell that Ashley was too naive to notice that, and that made him even more annoyed."What is it about her that makes everyone want her? She's mine," he thought to himself. The fact that he said she was his startled him, but he decided to ignore it.Liam couldn't stop glaring at the waitress, who wouldn't stop talking and flirting with Ashley, who was oblivious to everything even afte
"The lines between real and fake are starting to blur, Liam," he thought to himself. The rest of the entire meal course was spent with Mr. and Mrs. Ross teasing Liam and Ashley and also telling them about their relationship when they were their age. The two of them had met when they were just 16. Their parents had arranged for them to get married, but the two of them fell in love before they found out that their marriage was arranged by their parents. Ashley knew bits of this story already, but she couldn't help but feel like she wanted that kind of love too. She loves the couple honestly, but being with them always makes her remember that she might never feel the type of love the two of them had. She knew that having love was almost impossible for her anymore, especially with the contract marriage thing with Liam. Not that she ever felt like it was possible. The only friend she has ever had even left her because she was so unloveable. They had both gotten into an accident, and sh