Chapter 24 Ashton was scanning the hallway when the stairwell door flew open and Mirabelle barrelled out . She looked furious . Gorgeous , obviously - but furious . || And then , like a nasty aftertaste , Rhys Granger followed her out [ ] Ashton's jaw tightened . He'd never met the guy in person , but he recognised him from the photos and the extensive background check . Rhys , the ex - fiancé . A trust fund guy with anger management issues , and apparently , the emotional maturity of a wet sock . [ ] The moment Ashton saw the expression on Rhys's face , he knew what was about to happen . The guy had that look the same look idiots get right before they do something incredibly stupid [ ] Ashton moved fast . Long strides , no hesitation : [ ] Mirabelle clocked him coming , surprise flickering in her eyes , but there wasn't time to say anything . ] Rhys was already raising his arm , going for a cheap shot from behind like the absolute coward he was . Ashton didn't think . He just moved . His left arm wrapped around Mirabelle's waist , yanking her out of range , while his right leg shot out and slammed into Rhys's knee with the kind of precision that made footballers cry . Rhys folded like a broken deckchair and slammed into the stairwell wall with a satisfying thud [ ] When she understood what just happened , Mirabelle didn't flinch . She just stared at Rhys with disdain . [ ] ' Really ? That's your move ? ' She shook her head . Trying to punch me when my back's turned ? Christ , Rhys , I knew you spineless little worm , but this is pathetic , even for you . mu were Ashton looked down at her , checking her face . You all right ? She nodded . Tm fine . Thanks . " [ ] " Let's get out of here . ' ] Mirabelle hesitated . " Louisa's still in surgery . Ashton gave Rhys a pointed glance . " Yeah , but you don't need to spend the next few hours in a corridor with him . My assistant's on standby . He'll call the second there's any update . The surgery could take all night . You being here doesn't make the clock tick faster . She thought it over , then nodded . Fair enough . " ] Astron walked her to the car , opened the door , and waited until she was tucked inside before sliding into the driver's seat and starting the engine But even as they pulled away , his eyes kept darting to the rear view mirror like she might vanish if he blinked . [ She looked pensive . What was she thinking about ? Louisa ? Rhys ? Him ? Ashton didn't believe in fate - he trusted planning , power , and contracts - but he still thanked whatever cosmic nonsense had . convinced him to return to Skyline City earlier than planned If he hadn't , he wouldn't have seen her break up with Rhys , wouldn't have been the man she dragged away from a bar for a one - night stand , and definitely wouldn't have ended up playing the role of her fake fiancé ] She didn't know it yet , but Ashton had no intention of staying fake for long . That morning in the hotel , when he asked if she remembered him , her blank stare hadn't surprised him . ] Disappointed him , yes . [ ] But surprised ? Not really . ]] Seven years was a long time , and she'd only been a teenager back then - baby - faced , all nerves and big dreams , standing on a stage at some inter - school tech expo , pitching her clunky smart jewellery prototype like she was about to revolutionise the entire industry . She'd looked terrified , but there was a kind of fire in her , the sort that made people stop and pay attention , even in a room full of hored judges and cynical investors . Ashton hadn't been one of them , not officially . Just doing a favour for a friend , reviewing submissions for a grant But then she tripped on her way out , and he caught her before she hit the ground . [ ] She'd looked up , breathless and wide - eyed , thanked him like he'd saved her life , and disappeared before he could say a single word . [ ] She never knew his name . Probably didn't even register his face . But he remembered everything . [ Now here she was again , older , tougher , still standing tall after being dragged through hell by a man who didn't deserve her and a family that never protected her . ] Ashton wasn't letting her walk away . Not this time . [ ] The fake engagement was just the opening move . [ ] When he'd told her his family was pressuring him to get married , he hadn't lied . The vultures had been circling since he landed back in Skyline - cousins with matchmakers , uncles with ultimatums , his stepmother with her trademark emotional blackmail | What he left out was the part where he could've shut it all down with one look . His family didn't push him ; they tiptoed around him , They feared him , and that suited him just fine [ ] But he let her believe the pressure was real . Gave her the whole expectations ' speech because he knew it would make her soften , make her say yes ! ] But he knew this wasn't about convenience or family pressure . [ ] It was about her [ The only woman who'd ever made his heart stutter [ ] The only one he'd ever wanted for more than a night | } The only one he wanted for every night , for the rest of his life . Now she was in his passenger seat , legs crossed , face turned to the window , breathing like she hadn't completely undone him just days ago in that hotel room . He should've been watching the road , but his eyes kept sliding to her - her profile in the low light , the way her fingers twitched against her thigh , the soft scent of her shampoo threading through the air . She smelled like sugar and fire . Like trouble he'd gladly ruin himself for She'd been tipsy that night . He hadn't . He remembered it ed it all [ ] He remembered the exact sound she made when he kissed the inside of her thigh . The way her hands gripped his hair . The way she arched her back as she came . 0 When they shook hands on the fake engagement deal , she didn't know he already had the ending written . A real ring . A real marriage . Her signature next to his on everything from a marriage licence to a cemetery plot . ] And maybe she still thought this was a favour . A temporary But Ashton knew better . ] She was already his . And if she didn't know it yet , he'd make damn sure she did - soon . [ ] He stole another glance at her [ ] He could feel the heat rise just thinking about that night . The sound of her voice , her skin against his But another thought made his jaw clench : if he hadn't shown up at that bar , would she have gone home with someone else ? Someone with a pretty face like that smug bastard Rhys ? ] Ashton's grip on the steering wheel tightened . He would burn down the city before he let anyone like that near her again . [ ] It was time to move faster . Cut the pretence . Turn this engagement into something permanent . And if he had to lie , martipulate , or play every dirty card he had to keep her ? ] So be it .