Charmed by the Billionaire CEO
Chapter 90: I won’t judge

Chapter 90: I won’t judge

Dashing inside his house in a fury, Greg threw the car key on the couch and headed towards the minibar built inside his living area. Pulling out one bottle for himself, he poured it into the glass and gulped it in one go.

His mind couldn’t stop replaying the smile Ashley showered on that mysterious man who was now her boyfriend. Just the thought of it tightened his hold on the glass, and in anger, he threw it on the floor, shattering it into pieces.

"How dare she" his eyes beamed in fury as his mind kept remembering Ashley’s contagious smile.

Jane heard the sound and sprinted out of her room only to find Greg fuming angrily.

"Greg what happened?" she ran to him, pulling him out of his trance.

His mind was clouded with hate that he felt, throwing everything around him, eradicating it.

Greg fluttered his eyes and looked at Jane, who was worried watching him like this, to calm his breath.

"Greg..." she called him again and reached her hand to cup his face, but he jerked it and walked away, leaving her unanswered.

Something wasn’t right, Jane thought and heard the door of his room shut with a loud bang.

Jane had never seen Greg so angry. He was always calm and calculated, but today she saw another side of him.

Things have not been that great for both of them. Greg was starting his career from thrash, and she was trying to keep her foot grounded. Their life changed so drastically that they couldn’t process it.

"Maybe he is stressed about something," she tried to tell herself and looked at the piece of glass on the floor absentmindedly.

****

Bedroom

Glancing at his sleeping wife, Tristan averted his attention back to the laptop screen on his lap.

While his focus was purely on his work, his thoughts kept drifting toward his father’s words. His fingers stopped typing, and his eyes again turned to see Ashley.

"Will she leave me if she finds out about my other work?"

Tristan had asked his parents to keep that one thing about him away from Ashley, which was about him being in the underworld. Though the business was pure for a good cause, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her about that one particular thing.

Keeping his laptop aside, Tristan walked out of the room and stepped onto the balcony for fresh air. Suddenly he began to feel suffocated, and the thought of Ashley leaving him started making him anxious.

Resting his hand on the railing, Tristan closed his eyes and started to take deep breaths. What if he never tells her about it, then she won’t leave him?

Tristan wasn’t scared of anything but not having Ashley in his life made him become a coward. But then, how long would he keep her under the dark about his life which wasn’t as pleasant as he was living now with her?

When his mind was busy thinking the negative, a pair suddenly engulfed him from behind, breaking him out of his struggle, and a familiar warmth filled his heart.

"Why haven’t you slept yet?" she asked when she couldn’t find him on the bed. He wasn’t working either, which quite surprised her.

Tristan placed his hand on her hand as if he was waiting for her to pull him out from his negative thoughts and heaved out a sigh before he turned to see her.

"I just wanted some fresh air," he said, wrapping his arms around her, resting his forehead on her shoulder.

He needed this so badly. He just wanted her with him and nothing else.

Inhaling her fragrance, Tristan snuggled, burying his face in the crook of her neck, and whispered," Ashley hold on to me tight" his words made her smile, and she tightened her grip around him and just stayed like that for some time.

After some time, he finally pulled back and stared at her. Ashley didn’t hear him utter a word, which made her ask," Do you want to talk?"

She didn’t know why but felt like he wanted to talk to her but stopped himself. His eyes held emotions she couldn’t grasp because they were soon replaced with a playful ones.

Tristan shook his head and hugged her again," I want to hold you close to me," he said as he tried to brush off the doubt he saw in Ashley’s eyes a while back.

Maybe he was too obvious with his words that she found his action strange, leading her to question him. But he wouldn’t tell her. He can’t let her find out about his other side, which would make her fear him.

Ashley found his back average as his voice that spoke with desperation a while back was replaced with a playful one. When she thought he was finally better,

Tristan slid down his palm resting it on her buttocks, and squeezed it, making her jump.

"Tristan," she slapped his arm and heard him laugh.

There was no way she would understand him because he switched his mood like channels, leaving her doubting herself.

"What" laughing his heart out, Tristan saw her glare at him.

"Shameless"

"Only for you, wifey," saying, he picked her in his arm and walked inside the room, taking her by surprise.

Carefully placing her on the bed, he joined her by pulling the duvet and covering them both. Pulling her closer to him, Ashley rested her head on his chest and laid quietly, feeling his heartbeat.

"Tristan..." she called him lovingly, drawing circles on his chest with her finger.

"Hmm.."

"You know I am there for you. So when you feel like sharing your problems with me, don’t hesitate. I won’t judge" she raised her head and saw him look at her with love.

Tristan was speechless, thinking how easily she understood her torment. But he knew he wasn’t ready to say about it yet. He had just got her, and he didn’t want to ruin their building relationship.

Brushing her cheeks with his thumb, he hummed and pulled her closer before he closed his eyes, and they both drifted off to sleep.

*****

Alice’s apartment

Last night after walking out of Noah’s apartment Alice locked herself in her room. Her face turned red like a tomato, and all she could think and hear was Noah’s words.

He said he wanted her to be his girlfriend. He wanted to have a relationship that was more than friendship.

"How can he easily say it" covering her cheeks, feeling the warmth built after he kissed her.

Alice still couldn’t come to accept that he had just declared his love for her and was willing to wait. He said he would earn her love and make her fall for him and that one claim knocked her heart.

No one...no one had ever made her their utmost priority, and now with Noah, she suddenly began to panic.

What if his love will reduce when he learns about her past that wasn’t fruitful? Will he think of her as a disgrace once he finds out she isn’t worth being loved? Will he leave her after knowing the Alice he has seen is just a life with a hollow soul?

Sliding down the closed door, Alice buried her head in her knees and let her tears roll down her eyes. She didn’t know if his love would bring life to her or will her past experiences would lead to another heartbreak.

*****

The following day Alice woke up with a headache. She fell asleep only to wake up after some time, and after that, she couldn’t find herself sleeping again.

She wanted to take the sleeping pills but stopped when she remembered Noh’s strict words about not using them again.

Walking like a corpse, she entered the kitchen and was about to make a coffee for herself when her phone rang, and she scowled." Who has a death wish early in the morning?"

Walking out of the kitchen, she picked up her phone and saw an unknown number.

"Who is this?" she muttered and picked up the call.

"Hello," she said out of frustration. And heard the man chuckle on the other side.

Alice froze on the ground when she heard the familiar voice. ’How did he get my number’ she thought.

"Alice..." he called her name, which broke her frozen state, and her eyes fluttered, finally registering the reality.

"Why the hell do you call Dylan? Didn’t I warn you not to disturb me?" Alice’s anxiousness flew away, replaced by fury.

She didn’t want to let him know that his presence still affected her. She didn’t want to give him the chance to make her fall weak.

Her eyes turned cold as eyes, and she heard him chuckle.

"Alice... Alice... my dear Alice. Did you expect me to follow your harmless warning"

Dylan wasn’t scared by her words, and she also knew he wasn’t someone who listened to anyone?

Her hold on the cellphone tightened, and she asked in anger," Then take my word serious, Dylan and make sure you keep that filthy mouth and eyes of yours away from me because I am no more that innocent Alice who would give the chance to walk down on me like before" her words came out like venom that silence without any sweetness in it.