Billionaire's Bounty Cost Of Love And Revenge novel Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Asher’s POV

I blinked my eyes repeatedly, struggling to adjust to the bright rays of sunshine seeping through the windows. I had a pounding headache that made me dizzy for a moment. I let out a grunt of exhaustion. Flashes of last night flooded my memory as I grabbed my alarm clock from my bedside and peered at it. It was a few minutes after 12 in the afternoon, and I had slept for most of the day. I reached for the landline by my bedside and sat up in alarm when I saw a couple of messages from Marcus. I had an important meeting with him and my dad at Sterling Industries.

I reluctantly got out of bed. There were also a few missed calls from Luca. He was probably calling to check up on me; I knew I wouldn’t hear the end of it until I gave him a detailed explanation of my attitude the night before. I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. I acted out of character last night. I remembered calling the girl I was with last night, Ivy. I sighed in exasperation; I was drunk to the point of confusion, and I truly believed she was Ivy for a moment. Memories of my conversation with Ivy came to me. I had handled it a lot better than I expected, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling of regret. Did I go too far with my words? I asked myself. I didn’t think I did. She had hurt me deeply, and I was only reacting to the pain she caused me. I battled the thought internally for a while before getting out of bed. I washed my face and quickly freshened up.

When I stepped out of my room, I almost bumped into Ivy, who seemed to be waiting outside. Her cheeks flushed when she spotted me. “Umm… Asher,” she began.

I looked up at her, a pleasant smile on my face, surprising her. “Good morning, Ivy,” I greeted.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Good morning, Asher,” she replied, her eyes searching my face. “You came back really out of it last night, so I was worried sick. I wanted to know if you needed anything or…”

“You could have come into my room to check,” I interjected. “I haven’t prevented you from doing that.”

She looked at me with wide eyes, seemingly shocked by my new mood. Maybe she expected me to lash out at her or ignore her, but I couldn’t bring myself to do either. It would have been easier if I could, as I was deeply hurt. Staring at her right now brought back that cursed image of her entangled in his arms. My chest constricted with pain; it felt like sharp talons gripping into my heart. I felt sick to my stomach. The anger I had managed to keep suppressed bubbled up to the surface. I felt an odd need to cry- something I hadn’t done in a long time. Yet, I plastered a wide smile on my face as I looked at her.

Her lips curved into a small smile. “I didn’t know if that would be okay…”

“Of course it is, Ivy.” We are married, I said to myself. I couldn’t escape it. We were married, and we had to find a way around whatever troubles we may have. There was still a long road ahead. Peering at her, I continued, “So, Ivy, I still feel the aftermath of the crazy night I had last night…” I massaged my temples. “I’m going to need a strong cup of coffee to combat it. I also have that meeting later with my dad to sign over Sterling’s Winery…”

The smile on her face faded into a frown, and I knew instantly why. I hadn’t forgotten her accusations when she learned my father was gifting me the winery as a wedding present. I knew she was thinking about it now, and maybe before I would have tried to correct that impression. I didn’t want her to think that I only married her for the company. I knew it was a lie, but I didn’t care anymore. I would mask my feelings for her, keeping them hidden until I could convince myself- even lie to myself that I didn’t care for Ivy Whitfield.

I turned around to leave.

“Asher,” she called out softly, causing me to halt in my tracks.

I turned around to look at her. “Ivy…”

“What happened last night…”

1/2

8:31 pm D DXX.

Chapter 30

I felt a pang in my chest. I clenched my fists hard, my nails digging deep into my palms. “It doesn’t matter,” I cut in a little too harshly. Fexhaled. “It’s a new day, and I don’t want to talk about what happened last night.”

I could see the struggle in her eyes; she didn’t want to let it go. As I stared at her intently, I saw all the tell–tale signs that she hadn’t slept. Her eyes looked tired and hollow, as if she had stayed up all night thinking. I wondered what she could be thinking about. Then she gave me my answer.

“You were out all night, and I couldn’t reach you…”

The memory of me tossing my phone against the wall flashed in my head. I made a mental note to get a new one.

“You came home drunk and disoriented; I’ve never seen you like that-” she trailed off,

She didn’t ask any questions, but I knew the answer. The question was just on the tip of her tongue. I saw the hesitation in her eyes, and maybe even fear? Was she scared of the thought that I had been with someone else? Did it matter to her?

“It was a wild night, alright.”

*+

I walked into Sterling Industries much later that day. I didn’t come here frequently, so whenever I did, the employees were always excited to see me. I waved at a few, smiled at others, and even stopped to hug some of them. When I walked into the elevator and found it empty, I sighed in relief. I was hours late for my meeting with my family- not a good start for me, but I knew it was better to show up than to cancel.

I walked into the waiting area. The receptionist, Ava, stood up with excitement in her eyes when she saw me. “Asher!”

I flashed her my signature smile. She walked up to me and opened her arms. I wasn’t expecting the warm welcome… who was I kidding? Of course, I was. Ava had a crush on me since she started working here. “How are you, Ava?” I asked.

She smiled at me. “It has been an awfully long time. Do you need anything?” she inquired.

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