Shock hung heavy in the air as Susan's frantic words echoed. Adrian, his face an unreadable mask, snapped his head towards Mr. Atkinson.
"Explain yourself," he demanded, his voice tight.Mr. Atkinson, flustered, stammered, "I wasn't informed, Mr. Cagliari. Apparently, Mrs. Cagliari is unwell." His gaze darted towards the anxious Susan."I tried to tell you," Susan blurted, "but Mrs. Ashleigh wouldn't let me raise an alarm."A mix of surprise and concern flickered across Adrian's face. He turned to Mr. Turner, his voice clipped."Get a doctor. Now." Mr. Turner scurried off, dialing on his phone.Unable to stay still, Adrian paced the hallway, his eyes flitting nervously between the stairs leading to Ashleigh's room and Mr. Atkinson."How long has this been going on?" he finally managed, his voice strained.Mr. Atkinson cleared his throat. "To my knowledge, since the beginning of the week. Mrs. Cagliari's been stuTension crackled in the air, thick with unspoken words. Ashleigh, stung by Adrian's pronouncement, glared at him. The water glass trembled in her hand, mirroring the turmoil within her."Indefinitely?" she rasped, her voice barely a whisper but laced with anger."Who gets to decide that?" "Your husband," Adrian countered, his tone clipped."Convenient, isn't it?" Ashleigh shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "When it suits you to control or belittle my dreams, you're suddenly my husband.""Look who's talking," he retorted. "The woman who nearly threw her health away for a dream that surely could have waited.""Not 'a' dream, Adrian," Ashleigh pressed, her voice gaining strength. "My dream. You say it could have waited? How long exactly? Since I was a teenager, Robin College has been my aspiration. I've waited and yearned for this chance. This is my life, Adrian, not some trophy you can hand out or take away on a whim."He
Frustration simmered beneath the surface as Adrian tackled his work. He made calls, barked orders, and even slammed his laptop shut in irritation. Mr. Turner, ever cautious, kept his distance. Anything he did seemed to further irritate his already volatile boss.Despite the laser focus on his tasks, Adrian couldn't shake Ashleigh's words. Her accusations about his contribution to her workload echoed in his mind, successfully evoking a pang of guilt. The shrill ring of the phone shattered his concentration. He glared at Mr. Turner, who held the phone out with a questioning look."Sir, it's Dr. Brooke, Ashleigh's tutor," Turner announced."Answer it and hand it over," Adrian instructed, snatching the phone from Turner's grasp."Mr. Cagliari, good afternoon. I've been trying to reach you for weeks," Dr. Brooke's voice came through the line. "Your secretary mentioned you were unavailable.""Yes, Dr. Brooke, business has been demanding lately," Adrian explained, omitting his earlier instru
Ashleigh recoiled from Adrian's touch, her gaze darting nervously away. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm, threatening to escalate her fever."You're just trying to distract me from my frustration," she accused, her voice tight with suspicion. Adrian continued to smile, unfazed by her accusation."Actually," he countered nonchalantly, settling into the plush pink chair, "I simply wanted to get a closer look at you, like I did this morning. You seem to be the one reading ulterior motives into my actions."However, a hint of mischief danced in his eyes as he met her gaze. She couldn't ignore the playful spark that contradicted his seemingly earnest words."Regardless," Ashleigh said, her tone softening slightly, "I trust you'll keep your promise this time, Mr. Cagliari. But will it be possible to schedule the examination sometime after this week? Robin College is notoriously selective with their admissions.""Why waste your energy worrying about that right now?" Adrian replied, his voi
For the next two days, Ashleigh remained confined to her room, recovering. Mr. Atkinson or Susan delivered all her meals, medications, and necessities. Though Adrian didn't stay constantly, he made a point to visit every evening for at least an hour after returning from work. During these visits, Ashleigh persistently questioned him about Robin College, but his answers remained frustratingly vague.By the weekend, Ashleigh felt strong enough to move around freely. Her eagerness to escape confinement meant breakfast would be her first outing. News of her recovery brought relief and joy to the staff. They eagerly awaited their Madame's return, and Chef Larry prepared a magnificent feast in her honor.Ashleigh woke up in a chirpy mood, bustling about the room with Susan. She wanted a complete transformation: fresh sheets and pillows, a lighter scent in the air, new curtains in a brighter color scheme, even a change in toiletries. Everything that reminded her of her gloomy week of illness
Ashleigh, determined to clear the air with Adrian about his strange behavior towards Chef Larry, hurried up the stairs. Spotting him engrossed in a call as he neared his study, she sprinted down the hall to intercept him. Adrian, deeply involved in his conversation, didn't register Ashleigh's approach until she practically dashed in front of him, halting his progress towards the study door."Wait! I need to talk to you," she blurted, catching her breath as she leaned against the doorframe. He gave her a surprised look before finishing his call."That will be all for now," he said, pocketing his phone."What's wrong?" he inquired, concern replacing his initial surprise."We need to talk about Chef Larry," she started, noticing his brow furrow at the mention of the name."Is that so?" he replied, his tone guarded."Yes," she pressed, "your mood seemed off ever since I joined you at breakfast. And then you mentioned something about him being… intriguing?"Adrian studied her for a moment,
"Are you sure we won't get in trouble at work, Ashleigh?" James, the ever-present voice of doubt, asked again, hoisting himself upright in his hammock. "You should have worried about that three days ago, James," Fiona countered, rolling her eyes beneath the cucumber slices adorning her face. "We're halfway through the week; why not enjoy it?" Ashleigh, nestled in the furthest hammock, hummed along to music filtering through her earbuds, blissfully unconcerned. James had initially balked at the idea of escaping to this secluded resort, but Ashleigh's fervent desire for a break from the city had swayed them. Nestled two towns away amidst a lush forest, the resort catered to luxury camping enthusiasts. Fiona, with a well-placed "favor" owed by the owner, secured them a discounted rate, while Ashleigh discreetly transferred a substantial sum into Fiona's account on the eve of their departure. Work and, more importantly, the mansion, were far from Ashleigh's mind. She'd informed he
“Hey dream girl! your break is over. Time to get back to work" a loud voice sounded through the small break room, waking the lady who slept on the couch up. She groaned as she realized that her little sleep session had come to an end, and the next time she will be sleeping in is at home late at night. Standing up, she rushed to wipe the beads of sweat on her forehead and pulled out a comb from her bag on the couch. She then proceeded to remove the sanitary hair net and re-comb her hair.Pulling her hair into a firm bun, she reached for a box containing new hair nets and wore one. She walked up to the mirror and looked over her light green uniform, ensuring she was not out of place, she walked out to meet the owner of the voice who called her. She walked to the middle-aged woman who sat at the desk; the woman had a firm face that looked like she won’t tolerate nonsense. “Miss Ashleigh Hartman, once again you have overslept” the woman said, giving her a judging look. Ashleigh ran up t
Tyra immediately dropped the bat. Her minions who were also recording, turned to see a bunch of men and women staring at them. The man in the middle walked up to where they stood, each step echoed loudly in the room. They felt the coldness exude off him as he neared them and instinctively stepped back. He slightly hovered over them. His frame seemed to be so well built it almost popped through the suit and his proportions were amazing. His handsome face has the coldest look currently as he stared at Tyra and her friends. However, that was the least of Tyra’s worries at the moment. “Who the hell is this man" she drooled in her mind, lusting after him. As she drooled over him in her mind, she also feared for her life, she watched as he walked up to where Ashleigh was tied and untied her hands, and how Ashleigh fell into his embrace. “This opportunistic skunk ” she mocked, as she looked at the both of them. Ashleigh on the other hand, let out a huge sigh of relief as she held onto t