Everything was normal. No sign of pregnancy.
Blake slammed the file on the desk, veins
bulging in his hand.
Everything clicked into place. Ashley always
seemed to “accidentally” appear at the most
opportune times.
My birthday. She “happened” to be at the
same restaurant and “accidentally” twisted
her ankle.
The company anniversary. She had a sudden
case of food poisoning and needed him to
stay with her at the hospital.
And the “life–saving” story? He’d never
actually heard the details.
“Pull Ashley Carter’s recent activity.” He told
Г
his secretary.
The report arrived quickly. Ashley had been running around, acting like a fiancée and
hitting on the company’s partners, trying to
squeeze out company secrets.
His phone rang, cutting off his thoughts. “Honey, I want to take over the design department. What do you think?” Ashley’s
voice chirped through the speaker.
“Do you even know anything about design?” Blake snapped.
“I can learn! And Olivia didn’t know anything
about design either!”
Blake hung up.
He thought of the painting Ashley had called
“tacky.” It was the birthday gift I gave him.
An idea struck him. He called the gallery
owner.
“Mr. Thompson, about that gala… I need to
confirm something.”
<
Thompson sounded surprised. “What about?
Oh, Ms. Bennett. She was professional. I
offered to discuss details separately, but she
said to need consult you with any decisions.”
Blake tightened his grip on the phone.
“Nothing else happen?”
“Nope. Why?”
Blake hung up, restless. Ashley said that
night, Olivia had come onto Thompson. A lie.
A week later, at a company gala, Ashley clung
to Blake’s arm, showing off her engagement
ring to everyone.
“Blake and I have a connection that most
people wouldn’t understand. If it weren’t for
me…”
“If it weren’t for you, what?” Blake stared at
her.
“That car accident.” Ashley looked away.
“Tell me about it.”
“Oh, it was long time ago. I don’t remember
く
so well.”
Blake pressed. “What kind of car? Where?
What time?”
Ashley paled. “Why are you grilling me like
this? Don’t you trust me?”
“I’m just trying to remember the past.”
Ashley stammered, making up details that
didn’t make sense. Blake’s eyes grew colder.
The next morning, his assistant burst into his
office.
“I found something!” He put down a file.
“Ashley Carter wasn’t at the scene of the
accident. Olivia Bennett saved you.”
“Keep digging. I want to know everything
Ashley Carter has done.”
Three days later, a stack of files lay on his
desk. The more Blake read, the more furious
he became.
Ashley had faked being his savior, bribed
doctors to change records, paid off hotel
<
staff to stage “chance” meetings, even
bought off people in my studio to steal
designs.
Those “mistakes” I’d made? She’d planned
them all.
“Bring Ashley Carter to me.”
Ashley walked in, all smiles. “Blake, you
wanted to see me?”
Blake threw the files in her face. “You never
saved my life, did you?”
The files scattered across the floor. Ashley’s
face went white.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“Seven years ago, in the rain, it was Olivia,
not you. You paid off the hospital, pretended
to be my angel while I was unconscious.”
Ashley’s eyes darted around. “How can you
believe this fake garbage? Is Olivia back? Is
she trying to turn you against me?”
“And the pregnancy? That’s a lie too, right?”
<
Blake sneered.
“I just confused the dates, okay?”
“And you claimed Olivia was hitting on Mr. Thompson on the evening, Mr. Thompson directly rejected the invitation for a separate
meeting, saying that everything needs to be
discussed with me.”
Ashley bit her lip, changed tactics. “Yes, I
lied! But I love you! What’s Olivia got?
Without me, you’d be dead!”
Blake’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t even
there.”
Ashley backed away, her face ashen. “I…”
“You’re fired. The company shares you were
given are being taken back. Everything I gave
you is being returned, effective immediately.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Ashley shrieked.
