Chapter 45
ASHLEY
By the time I was done dressing up, Arden was in the shower and it was a good thing because I was dead sure he wouldn’t let me move an inch from this room because of what I was wearing. Not like it was bad, but the possessive beast in him will come out to play when he sees me in this outfit. It was a look I have always wanted to try with my casuals. I was clad in army green cargo pants with a black corset bralette that did so little in hiding my boobs. My cleavage was out in the open and the bralette stopped a few inches below my breasts.
I paired my outfit with cute white sneakers and a matching shoulder bag, my hair tucked securely in a sleek low bun, not to mention the bold red lipstick on my lips. I had one of his numerous black shirts draped around my shoulder in case I got cold, but it was a cute fit and Arden was an ass! So, I did the one thing I knew I could do. I ran out of the room before he was out of the showers, racing down the staircase.
I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding when I got to the bottom of the stairs. I puffed out some air and patted my bun, my eyes doing a quick scan of the living room which surprisingly had little to no workers in view. I rolled my eyes and spun on my heels, heading into the kitchen to say hello to Alberta.
I twisted the door handle and stepped into the luxurious kitchen, my eyes zeroing in on a girl that was dressed in a black hoodie on a pair of skinny jeans, and leather boots. She had her brown hair covering most of her face and Alberta had her back turned to her, trying to regulate the gas cooker.
“Alberta?” I called, confused, and the duo swung their heads in my direction, simultaneously. My eyebrows snapped together at the miniature of Alberta that stared back at me, wide-eyed. The resemblance she shared with Alberta was unnerving. She had the exact violet orbs and brown hair as Alberta, but her skin was much brighter and the shade of her lips was darker than Alberta’s. She had the same aura as her but she gave off this bad bitch vibe which I instantly loved.
She jumped off the counter, amusement swirling in her eyes.
“Is this her?” She turned to her mother, who sent her a cautious look, almost like she was warning her to watch her tongue. She debunked what her mother told her and approached me with a grin that had my lips twitching in a smile.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
“Holy shit, Mrs. Gray, you are hot as hell!” She exclaimed, her eyes raking over my frame with admiration written all over her face. My cheeks turned red at her compliment.
“Zelda!” Alberta chided her.
“Apologize, NOW!” She said sternly. Zelda’s face fell and she walked forward, pushing her hair away from her face.
“I am sorry, Mrs. Gray.” She mumbled and I chuckled, waving her off.
“Alberta, leave the girl alone.” I giggled and watched Zelda’s eyes brighten up at what I had just said. She was soon grinning from ear to ear.
“I apologize for my daughter’s behavior, Mrs. Gray.” Alberta intercepted and my eyes brightened at the revelation. Wow! She was her mom? They looked like they weren’t much older than each other. No shit, Alberta was a fine-ass mom.
Zelda stretched her hands forth.
“My name’s Zelda. I am twenty years old and I attend Stanford University where I major in fashion design. I am a Sophomore.” She introduced herself, grinning and I ignored her handshake, engulfing her in a warm hug. She didn’t expect it but she reciprocated, wrapping her arms around me.
I loved the energy around her. I knew instantaneously that we were going to click so well.
“Please, call me Ashley. Can you do that for me?” I asked her, hoping she wouldn’t be as stubborn as her mom, who was hellbent on addressing me as Mrs. Gray, regardless of how many times I tried to correct her.
“Uh, sure…” She trailed off with a chuckle and let her out of my embrace.
“You are so beautiful,” She cooed and I chuckled softly.
“And the fit?” She cocked her head to the side.
“It makes you look so badass!” She commented and I smiled, basking in the numerous compliments she threw my way. My eyes strayed to Alberta who had gone back to what she was doing, leaving us girls alone. I was going to say something but the kitchen door creaked open, which caused Zelda and I to snap our heads in its direction.
The sandy blonde hair that belonged to Arden’s right-hand man had me scoffing, his stone-cold sapphire blue eyes scanned the kitchen thoroughly. My eyes moved over his lean frame that was clad in a black shirt tucked in black slacks and matching shoes. He had an earbud stuck in one of his ears. Then, his eyes strayed to my figure and I could have sworn I saw something flicker in those blue eyes before they retained their masks.
“Good morning, Mrs. Gray.” He said curtly and I smirked. I knew the bastard didn’t like me. The hatred radiated off him in fucking waves and it was fun to see him still respect me despite how much he hates me. I didn’t know his reason for hating me, but I could care less because he was my husband’s employee and that makes me his boss too.
I heard Zelda mumble something along the line of ‘fuck’ under her breath and I felt my brows draw together in confusion.
“What do you want, Duncan?” I asked him, my tone emotionless.
“The boss wants Alberta to bring his meal upstairs.” He answered, his jaws locking for a second. I chuckled, enjoying his misery.
“You can leave. She will join you soon.” I waved him off with my hands, and without wasting one more second in the kitchen that had tension hanging in the air, he left.
Fucker.
I turned to Zelda, who still had her eyes fixed on the door, but what sold her out was the red tint on her cheeks. I nudged her, smirking lightly, and she looked away from me, clearing her throat before she went to the counter.
Was that what I think it was?