Charmed by the Billionaire CEO
Chapter 180: She wasn’t that stupid

Chapter 180: She wasn’t that stupid

Pursing her lips into a thin line Ashley nodded her head. She didn’t wanted anyone to know about their fight as they were mature enough to handle it but unknowingly grandpa Dante came to learn about it.

"So I was right. You both had a fight. But why?" he asked.

Dante was the only person who knew Tristan inside out. When he first met Tristan, he never thought the boy would carry a mighty aura of a leader within himself. For the outside world, he was a calm person who liked to mind his business but very few knew that once that calm person lost his cool, he would bring a storm taking away everything that comes in his path.

"Grandpa is it wrong if you want to share your spouse’s problem?" Ashley crossed her hand and turned to face Dante.

"No,"

"Then why don’t Tristan understand it" she flared.

Dante understood what she meant. He couldn’t blame the girl because her husband had never let anyone see his problems. He had been handling it by himself without letting anyone know.

"Hmm... so that’s the case," he thought while rubbing his chin

" But, have you ever thought, why would Tristan want to keep you away from his problems?" his question surprised her.

Ashley pursed her lips as she shook her head. She neglected Tristan’s words when he asked her to give him some time. She was so annoyed by his silence and inner hurting that she lashed out without thinking rationally.

"Tristan isn’t someone who liked to share his problems with anyone. He had always been like this" Dante smiled as he talked about Tristan’s one trait which was very annoying.

He always thought he had things under his control but he was wrong, whenever something goes beyond his range he loses his cool which leads him to torment himself mentally.

"But I want to share his burden. Is it too much to expect from him" Ashley asked.

"No, it isn’t too much but in Tristan’s case, it’s kind of difficult" Dante didn’t want Ashley to misunderstand Tristan.

"His insecure thought is sometimes his enemies and to hide them, he sometimes acts stupid" he explained.

"Insecure" Ashley mumbled as she remember that night after the party, Tristan literally beg her not to hate him for hurting her. He asked if she would leave him if he turn out to be someone who isn’t the one she expect him to be.

"But what is he insecure of?" she asked.

"Losing you is his biggest fear. He is scared if one day you find his deepest secret you would hate him or worst leave him" Ashley widen her eyes in shock when Tristan’s and Dante’s words matched.

Patting her shoulder he continued," It wouldn’t have been hard for him to talk with you if his life was that simple and sorted. I blame myself for that" his remorseful voice expressed his pain.

Dante still felt guilty for dragging Tristan into his world, because he knew once you step your foot into the darkness there is no way of coming out. Even if you don’t want to you make many enemies who wanted to see your downfall.

Ashley looked at the old man for some time as if she was trying to see through his words. It wasn’t hard for her to join the dots and she finally understood what he meant.

****

After talking with Dante, Ashley was trying to process her thoughts. She wasn’t that fool to not understand what Dante was trying to tell her but still, she found it hard to grasp.

Heading toward their bedroom Ashley stepped in only to find it empty. Knitting her brows she remembered the fight and her shoulder dropped in defeat.

"I shouldn’t have overreacted" now she regretted giving hard time to Tristan.

Heaving out a sigh, she walked toward their bed and lay down. She thought it was better to give Tristan some space as they both had to sort their thoughts and ease their anger so they would finally talk.

The silence inside the room was killing her. She was so used to Tristan’s talk that now she felt sour. Deep down she wanted him to come to her and embrace her just like he did every night.

But she knew this wasn’t going to happen, at least not tonight. After the heated argument, she doubted whether Tristan would even talk to her.

"Argh!! I messed up everything" she cursed scolding herself.

Calming her restless heart she laid still staring at the wall above and Ashley soon drifted to sleep. Her mind was tired and so was her body and it didn’t take her long to fall asleep.

****

The day Ashley woke up alone on the bed. Finding the space next to her empty and cold she understood Tristan didn’t return to their room last night.

Just the thought of him avoiding her jabbed her heart. She knew she was at fault for lashing out at him but wasn’t it his responsibility to come and soothe her?

Disheartened Ashley climbed down from the bed and headed to the bathroom. Quickly taking a shower she stepped out of her room, and headed to the dining area.

She thought maybe she would see Tristan but to her surprise, he wasn’t present there with everyone.

"Good morning" Grace’s cheerful voice broke her trance and she forced a smile, hiding her disappointment.

"Good morning" she answered and sat next to Gwen. Placing the food on the table she leaned to Gwen and whispered," Does your brother have an emergency meeting today?" she asked as low as possible.

Gwen turned her head looking at Ashley in surprise," Didn’t brother tell you he is traveling for a business meeting in the country M"

Ashley frowned and shook her head in no. Last night after the fight they didn’t see each other. She was waiting for Tristan to show up but he didn’t which only meant that now he was trying to avoid her.

Gwen found Ashley’s reaction a little strange but she didn’t voice her thought. She could tell that the couple wasn’t on talking terms because Tristan wasn’t someone who would ever forget to inform Ashley about his travel.

’Did he find out that I told everything to Ashley about him being a secret lover’ she paused and looked at Ashley who shrug her shoulder asking her what happened.

’No, there is no way brother would let me have breakfast so peacefully if he happened to know it was me who opened his secret to his beloved wife’ breathing a sigh of relief Gwen continued eating her breakfast.

****

Country M,

Head office

The temperature inside the meeting hall dropped when Tristan’s cold eyes send chills to everyone member present inside.

It was a sudden visit that the CEO decided to pay and that took everyone by surprise. No one thought that the boss would call everyone for a meeting on such short notice.

Tristan had been rejecting back-to-back every proposal that the employees presented. It felt like they were walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers as they came up with as many ideas as possible but none of them impressed the iceberg.

Even with the air conditioner on, they were still sweating, praying that this silent torture to end somehow and they escape from this hell. Just when they all were getting used to the chilling aura they heard a sudden noise.

Thud

A loud bang echoed inside the silent room making everyone flinch. Karl who sat next to Tristan woke up from his drowsiness and looked at the employees, lowering their heads when Tristan’s furious voice beamed from his side.

"That’s it. Is this all you have" standing up from his chair, Tristan started pacing back and forth.

"I asked for that one better proposal, yet no one of you was able to provide it. Is this how you work in my absence" resting his hand on his waist Tristan looked around.

"Two hours... you all have two hours to bring me fresh ideas or else I will fire every one of you" with all said, Tristan, turned around and walked out of the room in fury.

Karl who also woke up by the shattering earthquake gave everyone a pitiful gaze and left the room following his boss.

On his way to the cabin, Karl heard Tristan slamming every file on the desk in anger which made him halt right in front of his office door. Slightly opening the door Karl peeked inside and saw Tristan slumped down on his chair with his head rested back.

His eyes were closed and his chest heaved up and down showing how badly he was pissed this time but, why was he so frustrated.

Closing back the door, Karl thought not to enter the lion’s den, or else his condition would also end up like those in the meeting hall.

Walking away from there Karl reached the company’s balcony and made a call to Gwen.

"Hey handsome, already missing me," her cheerful voice beamed through the call.

Without answering her greeting Karl came straight to the point," Did Ashley and Tristan fight?"

"..."