Chapter 3
Ash returned ten minutes later.
He couldn’t meet my eyes, just handed me the pharmacy bag before quickly getting into the driver’s seat and locking
the doors.
His usually confident demeanor was replaced by an awkward hesitance that seemed out of character for someone
like him.
“I asked someone to drop off some chamomile tea with honey at my place. Would you… like to go back and have
some?”
The unusual uncertainty in Ash’s voice made me want to smile.
This was a side of him I’d never seen before – so different from his usual commanding presence.
Ash Harrington was one of the city’s most powerful heirs, known for his ruthless business acumen despite his young
age.
Every major social event featured him in impeccable suits, making million–dollar deals between casual sips of whiskey.
The tabloids painted him as the city’s most eligible bachelor, but he kept everyone at arm’s length with his icy demeanor.
And, of course, he was Julian’s closest friend.
Back when I used to join Julian for dinners, Ash was always there, commanding attention without trying.
He’d been so cold toward me then, especially when others would urge Julian and me to show affection.
He wouldn’t even spare us a glance, as if watching us was beneath him.
His contempt was barely concealed behind scathing remarks and subtle sneers, his sharp green eyes holding nothing but disdain whenever they landed on me.
Everyone in that social circle was convinced he despised me – the middle–class girl who’d somehow caught the attention of one of their own.
They whispered that Ash Harrington considered me beneath their social standing, just another gold–digger trying to climb the social ladder.
Then came the day of Julian’s “fatal” crash, when I received a video. From Ash.
In it, Julian was laughing with friends: “The thought of being married to just Olivia – I can’t handle it. “I’ll fake my death, have some fun for a few years. Just make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.”
Chapter 3
But what I hadn’t realized until tonight was that this “death” scheme… Had been Ash’s idea all along.
