So this chapter is a little rushed so sorry. Things are gonna get very heated up soon. Get ready you guys. 

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Chapter 22

Dinner went by quickly and silently after Alessio gave his answer. How can they say anything when he just sent most of these men and even woman to shame in under five minutes? He had been everything they weren't.

Ashley looked up him in the corner of her eyes. 

He ate his food without making any kind of noise. 

She couldn't even hear his fork scraping the bottom of the plate like she did with other people. 

His movements were soft and graceful almost as if he had practiced them his entire life. Occasionally, he would look down at his food but his stare was directed to the wall opposite of him.

Everything about him in that moment stilled.

Despite how he managed to insult half of the men in the room, they admired him. They admired his honesty and his calmness. 

He did not result to anger like Dante did nor did he subject himself to Dante's hate. He stood strong, tall, and proud. A man like him would have made it far in the world of business. No one would be able to undermine him and he would have all the shareholders on their knees.

Ashley finished whatever was left on her plate and placed down her utensils. She looked at her father, giving him a look that showed her displeasure with him. Crossing her arms over her chest she then turned to Mayla and focused her frustration on her.

Mayla smiled and shrugged a shoulder before bringing her spoon full of soup to her mouth. "It's rude to stare, Ash."

Ashley scoffed and rolled her eyes. She looked around the tables, her eyes landing back on Dante's face.

He's angry, she concluded. The angriest that she has ever seen him but unlike other times, he sits there, unmoving. He's trying to not make a scene anymore, knowing how Alessio will have the upper hand each and every single time.

Ashley smiled in amusement.

So the mighty Dante is finally beaten.

"What are you smiling at?" Alessio asked her.

She shook her head and turned to him. "It's nothing."

He raised his eyebrows up at her but said nothing. He only stood up. "Thank you for the meal, Mr. Valldarri, but I need to get going now. It was nice meeting all of you." He nodded at them and turned back to Ashley.

She got up from her seat also. Brushing her dress, she sent him her best smile. "I'll walk you out."

Alessio shook his head at her and placed his palm on her stomach. "It's alright Ashley. You should rest. The little one is going to need a lot of it."

Ashley shuddered slightly. Unknowingly, she placed her hand on top of his. "Come on. A little bit of walking won't kill me."

Alessio stiffened for a second. He walked forward with his hand on the small of her back. "Don't put you and kill in the same sentence ever again."

Ashley grinned at him as they walked towards the door. "Afraid to lose one of your patients, Dr. Morcelli?"

Alessio shook his head and opened the door. Ashley removed her hand. He shoved his fingers into his pockets. "No. Just you." He turned around and walked away. "I'll see you in five days, Ashley."

"See you." She whispered.

She closed the door and leaned up against it, closing her eyes. 

Did Alessio just say that? How could he say something like that so casually and expect her not to feel anything towards it. He made her feel emotions that she hadn't felt in a long time. 

Emotions that she wish she could bury forever.

She barely knew the man for a few days and yet she was already falling for him. Faster than she ever fell for anyone. He didn't have a reputation like Dante did. Based on what she found out so far, Alessio has no significant history with the opposite sex.

He seems perfect but Ashley knows that he has a past. A past that probably is the reason why he does not want to get married. 

She knows that if that past will harm her baby in any kind of way, she won't associate herself with him any longer. Her daughter's well-being comes first and will always come first.

Also, she doesn't want to stand around and wait for him to break her heart like Dante did. She's been through enough heartbreaks to last herself a lifetime. Another one would just kill her on the spot.

"You seem to be deep in thought." A voice said.

She opened her eyes and stared into the dark brown orbs of Rafael. She smiled at him even though she wanted to just walk away. "My thoughts are loud."

Rafael grinned at her and she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. There was something in his grin that sent red flags all over her brain. "A penny for your thoughts?"

She shook her head and got off the door. "Maybe another day," she said, walking back towards the kitchen.

"I'll see you soon then Ashley," he promised.

Ashley heard the door open and then closed. She let out a sigh in relief. She never felt safe whenever Rafael was around. 

But he was the son of her father's best friend and he served her father as best as he could. She couldn't do anything to complicate her father's life even more. Plus, Rafael wouldn't do anything to her. He had no reason to.

But she couldn't help but feel like Rafael is planning something. Something bad.

She shuddered and rubbed her hand over her stomach. She just pray to god that her baby will come out safe and sound. She felt a kick and laughed. "You're going to be a football player when you grow up aren't you?"

Another kick from Isabella as if she was agreeing with what Ashley said. Ashley laughed again and grinned. "Are you going to let me rest tonight?" she felt another kick. "I guess not."

She walked back into the dining room and sat down next to Samuel. Sighing, she leaned her head on his shoulders.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and moved it up and down. "Tired sis?"

"My baby is using me as a ball." she joked, sitting up again.

Samuel chuckled and looked over at Mayla. He winked at her. "When are we getting one, May?"

Mayla scoffed and threw her napkin at him. "In your dreams." she said with a blush on her cheeks.

"You'll definitely be in my dreams." he winked at her again.

"You have a very interesting family, Antonio." the man who wanted to arrange his daughter with Alessio said.

Antonio smiled at him and Ashley noticed how fake it was. "Thank you very much, Enzo. Your family is amazing also based on my past experiences with them." A glint in his eyes told Ashley how unfortunate the time had been.

She stifled a laugh at Enzo's eyes lighting up. 

The poor man seemed to not be able to read people and emotions well. 

She took a look at Frankie and bursted out laughing along with him. Feeling the urge to pee, she wiped the tears of laughter away and got up. She walked towards the bathroom and opened the door.

Walking in, she did her business. As she washed her hand, she stared into the mirror. The woman that stared back at her is different now. She had a light in her eyes again and there was more color to her cheeks. She looks almost, happy.

With a grin on her face, she dried her hands and walked out. Not looking where she was going to she bumped into the wall. Only, the walls couldn't move and it didn't have arms to steady her up.

She looked and frowned when she saw who it was. "Dante." she said coldly.

"Ashley." he let go of her as if she was poison.

It didn't hurt her as much as it would have three months earlier. In fact, she only felt contempt with his touch.

She moved around him but he didn't let her. He stood in front of her with dark eyes. "We need to talk."

She sighed and looked at him, exhausted. "We have nothing to talk about Dante. Everything needed to be said had been said during our divorce. Now excuse me, I need to go rest." She walked around him but didn't get very far.

His hand wrapped around her wrist and turned her around. He tightened his grip.

Ashley winced and tried to pull her arm away. "You're hurting me." she whimpered.

He tightened his grip. "Is he your new toy?"

"Let me go Dante." She whimpered, trying to move her arm away from him.

"Answer me, dammit!"

She stopped moving and glared at him. Her other hand reached up and slapped him across his face. "So what if he is? What does it matter to you? We're divorced Dante. Whatever I do with anyone does not concern you."

"It does if you're carrying my child." he released her hand and grabbed his cheek. His cheeks reddened and grew angry.

Ashley laughed humorlessly. "So now you think Isabella is your daughter? After everything, now you want to be her father?" her voice started to get lower and lower.

"There might be a possibility." Dante glared. "And if she is, I'm taking her with me. No child of mine will be with a mother like you."

Anger coursed inside of Ashley. 

He thinks he can take her daughter away from her? How dare he comes and think he has the power to do that? After everything he said about her daughter, calling her a 'bastard child' and now claiming to take her away? How dare he spit out such bullsh*t.

She stabbed his chest with her finger. "You want to take my daughter away from me? I may not be a lawyer, Dante, but I know how the legal system works. You signed away your parental rights. You can't get them back. No court or judge will grant you custody over my daughter."

"I don't need a court or judge to back me up." he said coldly. "If she is my daughter, I'm taking her away from you, no matter what actions must be taken. Not everything needs to be legal."

Ashley felt tears dripping down her face. But it was not in sadness but in anger. "You're never going to take her away from me. She's mine." she shouted.

Like so many times before, her vision began to get darker. It happened so many times before that she knew it like the back of her hand. Her hand reached out and grabbed the closest thing to her. That had been Dante's arm. Her body swayed.

"Ashley?" His tone had changed completely. No longer is it filled with anger but with worry. "What's wrong? Hey, look at me."

She shook her head and felt herself being picked up by him. She tried to fight him but couldn't as her vision became dark and emptiness surrounded her.

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"The pictures are real."

Thomas's body stiffened. He turned to his private investigator and stood up with his palms flat on his desk. "What do you mean they're real? They can't be."

The PI nodded his head and handed him the file. "I double checked everything. The images are real. There's no signs of photoshop in them or anything."

"How can this be?" Thomas whispered.

The PI shrugged his shoulders and stood up. "The file contains everything you need to know. I have a feeling this won't be over any time soon."

"What do you mean?"

"The guy you told me about. He's starting his plan now."

Thomas looked at the PI and placed the file on his desk. "Stop him before he does any harm to them." he ordered.

The PI nodded his head. "I'm on it."

"Also," Thomas started. He looked the PI dead in the eyes. "You can't tell anyone about this. We have to be careful or else everything will come tumbling down."

The PI paused. "I have a friend who might be able to help. He had been a part of the special forces."

Thomas sighed and sat down on his chair. "Contact him. Let him know we need his help."

"It might take a while to convince him."

Thomas glared at him. "Do what you have to do. Money won't be a problem."

The PI nodded his head. "Alright." 

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I swear to you guys, this will be the last time that Ashley will faint until she gives birth. But what happens next is so important that she has to. 

Question of the chapter: 

Who is your favorite character? 

Remember that your answers do matter guys ;) Every question I ask will help determine the ending even if they're as lame as "what's your favorite color?" 

Anywho, hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. 

Love you all of my lovely owlers! 

~Amber <3 <3 <3