On an ordinary day that decided it was anything but, Ashley felt the first inklings of labor. Panicking, she called out to Ian, who was busy juggling paperwork in another room."Ian! It's go time!"Ian, startled, sent papers flying in all directions. "What? Now?! They're supposed to come next week!"Ashley, with a mix of urgency and humor, nodded. "Yes, now! The babies are on their way, and they clearly have no regard for our schedule!"Ian, caught in the whirlwind, fumbled to gather the hospital bags. Yu Zhen, who miraculously appeared as if summoned by impending chaos, rushed in."What's happening?""Babies decided to make an early debut," Ashley said with a grin.Yu Zhen, trying to suppress joyous laughter, patted Ian on the back. "Congratulations, Papa Ian. Let's get you all to the hospital."Ian, now in a state of controlled chaos, ushered Ashley to the car with a mix of urgency and care. "Watch your step, Ashley! We've got precious cargo onboard, and it's not just me driving.""
In the quiet cocoon of the Hills mansion, where grandeur met intimacy, a private library stood as a haven for the family. The scent of aged leather and the hushed rustle of pages greeted anyone who entered, creating an atmosphere of serenity and wisdom.One lazy afternoon, as sunlight filtered through the tall windows, Ashley descended the spiral staircase, her steps muffled by the plush carpeting. A gentle hum of lullabies reached her ears, drawing her towards the library.Upon entering, she was met with a scene that painted a portrait of domestic bliss. Ian, surrounded by towering bookshelves, sat in a hammock that gently swayed between two ornate columns. Cradled against his chest were the twins, their tiny forms cocooned in a shared blanket.Ian, engrossed in a storybook, read aloud in a soft, rhythmic cadence that matched the gentle rocking of the hammock. The twins, their eyes wide with innocent curiosity, listened intently, occasionally reaching out to touch the pages as if try
The morning sun painted a golden hue over the Hills estate as the mansion's staff prepared for another day in the bustling household. In the heart of the mansion, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the sizzle of bacon wafted through the air, signaling the start of a new day.In their private quarters, Laurent and Miniscera, the energetic twins of the De Luca family, were already stirring with the anticipation of breakfast. The rhythmic beats of lively tunes filled the room as they gleefully danced to their individual songs, each lost in their own world of melody.Laurent, with a contagious enthusiasm, moved to the beat of an upbeat pop song that echoed through his headphones. His small feet shuffled across the carpet in a display of youthful exuberance. Miniscera, on the other hand, twirled gracefully to a more melodic tune, her headphones delivering the sweet strains of a classical composition.As the twins descended the grand staircase, their impromptu dance continued. The staff
Ian silently tapped his phone before tossing it aside onto the sleek leather seat of the Maybach. He was supposed to be at his hotel, preparing for his wedding which was the next day, but instead, he was on his way back to his house because his assistant forgot all the documents he needed for the shareholder meetings that would be held the day after his wedding. He couldn’t afford to not review everything before time. The culprit was shivering in the passenger’s seat beside the chauffeur, Ian would deal with him later.His goal was to get all the shares away from the wrong people. His grandfather, Alexander Carter Hills, was the one with the most shares. Everyone else had collectively 5%. The only downside was that in his old age, he started thinking solely with emotions. Leaving such a formidable amount of power in the hands of the old man would be akin to a death sentence for the conglomerate. This made his well-meaning grandfather “the wrong person”.“Can you drive faster?”, He ask
Ashley popped open the lid of the vodka bottle and overturned it directly into her mouth, letting the fiery burn wash down her grief. She was all alone in her best friend’s home bar. Rita Hills, her best friend, was out of the house for a while, seeing as she had to support her elder brother on his big wedding the next day.Ashley couldn't help but wish she were here with her. There was no possible way she could survive the night without talking to someone. She didn’t know what to feel, there were so many horrible emotions battling for dominance within her.Her phone buzzed on the table behind her where she had dumped it as soon as she got into the house. She ignored it, it would most certainly be her boyfriend Richard, calling to ‘explain’ again, which was really him trying to gaslight her.She had given him her entire heart, constantly cutting off so many of her friends because he felt ‘uncomfortable’ around them. She should have taken that as the first red flag honestly, none of
“Welcome to my boat “, Ian said, taking another sip of the wine in his hand. Rita was never patient enough to wait for the wine to ferment into something stronger, he needed to get drunk.The woman threw him a look. Ian liked to call that look “The Ashley Toma alarmed look”. She had that look on her face a lot. Alongside a host of other looks he was unfortunately familiar with.Rita always used to have the best intuition, her friends were always smart and people that deserved to be in her sphere. The only exception was this one. Ashley Toma. He had investigated her extensively and found that he knew her father, Leo Toma, and the man was always going on and on about how his daughter decided to become a lecturer instead of taking the reins of the family business and how he froze all her accounts of the money from the business till she decided to become useful.Ian knew she was out to dig gold, perhaps she was spurred on by the fact that her father would make her lose out on everything i
Ashley stirred slightly. She felt beckoning warmth around her and nuzzled deeper into it. Her bed had never been this comfortable, she felt she never wanted to leave. She would probably be late to her class today for the first time ever. But she wasn’t leaving this bed, or the arms wound tightly around her.Wait! Arms?!She struggled to open her eyes. A searing headache split through her head immediately. Why did she feel like someone smashed a sledgehammer on her head multiple times? And why was she in bed with Richard? She had made that rule at the beginning of their relationship. She didn’t like that much physical intimacy. She could count the number of times they’ve kissed. It seemed as though she would have to reconsider. She finally opened her eyes successfully, ignoring the throbbing in her skull.Her eyes met with jet-black hair instead of Richard’s light brown. She blinked a few times to ensure that she was seeing right. This was not a trick of the light, neither was the man
Chapter 5Ashley decided to take a bath. From what she knew so far, he needed her to be his wife more than she needed him at all, so she wouldn’t hand over the rod of power to him. The countertops, floors and walls were all marble, at least twenty beauty products lined up on them, with a giant mirror on the ceiling directly above the equally giant bathtub.There were also His-and-Hers sinks with well-lit mirrors, and a separate glass-enclosed shower with rainfall showerheads. Ashley had seen luxury but this was on a different level. She mourned the fact that she couldn’t indulge the whole day in the bathroom alone. It was the nicest bathroom she had ever seen, and she had seen Rita’s bathroom.She roughly shoved the clothes over her head, throwing them on the floor where she stood. Apparently, they had worn pajamas before going to bed, which begged the question of Ian seeing her naked. She ignored the bathtub and headed straight for the showers, fogging up the glass door with steamy