Chapter 42: You could have died

Ashley's POV

"Ashley!" I heard a faint whisper.

I felt numb. For the first time, I felt nothing. All my emotions had drowned along with me.

That was until my lungs were brought back to life. I was gasping for air, followed by water that was emptying out of my stomach and my airways. The burning sensation in my lungs returned as my eyes began opening slowly.

I still couldn't see clearly; my vision was blurred, and so was my hearing, but I could sense panic all around me.

"Thank God you are okay," I heard Tristan's voice.

The sunlight was blinding. I laid on my side trying to return to my normal breathing.

I felt hands in my hair, slowly calming me down.

"She'll be fine," another voice said.

I felt a towel wrapped around me. My eyes began to open, and I saw Tristan sitting right beside me. His clothes were completely drenched, and his hair was wet too.

Did he save me? I suddenly had a lot of questions. How long ago did he get here? How long was I passed out?

"What kind of idiot doesn't know how to swim?" I heard a whisper behind me.

I didn't care about much right now. I just wanted to rest. My eyes were closing again, and I was falling back into my floating bubble of sleep.

I felt arms around me, lifting me off the ground.

***

"She will be alright, her pulse and breathing are back to normal." I heard a mumbled voice.

There were a few sounds soon after, followed by the door closing.

I was feeling a lot better than I had earlier, as I began regaining consciousness.

"You are awake," Tristan said, his voice alarmed.

He began pacing up and down, looking over at me in a state of panic.

"What happened back there?" He asked as he continued pacing.

He barely gave me time to respond, he was already on his next point. "You should have been more careful. Your mother would have killed me if you had died."

"I'm alright," I answered as I sat up straight.

He paused, staring at me in disbelief. "Your face had turned blue. I thought you were going to die." He reasoned.

"I had a panic attack." I finally answered.

He sighed, his body relaxing a bit. He then approached me before settling himself right next to me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He offered.

I was silent for a while, fidgeting with my fingers, thinking about where to begin. "I nearly drowned once, I was seven." I finally answered. "I loved swimming as a child. It was around the time I had just learned how to swim, and I couldn't get enough of it. It was summer and my mother's boss at the time offered her to house-sit. She could bring us along. I was playing around, and I hurt my knee badly. I tripped and fell into the pool and I couldn't push myself up. I couldn't swim." I paused. "My stepfather was there and he did nothing." I paused. "He was just standing there and too drunk to even notice. I felt like I was reliving that moment all over again. I would have died if my mother hadn't gotten there on time."

I hadn't realized I was crying. Turns out, trying to hold everything together made me fall apart even further.

"I feel like a failure at everything. I can't do anything right even something that's so simple. I don't even know how my sister is. I'm losing my mind and this whole thing is just stupid. I'm just so sick of all the lies." I rumbled.

"Shh, come here," He whispered as he pulled me into a hug. "You are safe with me." He assured me.

I hated that he had to be such a kind person. Why couldn't he be the worst person in the world or try to poison me? That way I'd at least feel like we were even.

He held me even tighter in his arms.

"Your sister is alright, I spoke to her earlier." He added assumingly. "We'll get through this together." He said.

It made me cry even more. I wish I had gotten to know him without all the lies.

We stayed like that for a long time, just me in his arms, lying in his arms and listening to his heartbeat.

"I didn't tell your sister about the drowning incident but I'm sure she'll be available if you call her now." He said. He pulled away from the hug, wiping my checks.

He kissed me on the cheek before pulling away.

"I'll leave you to speak to her," he said. He gave me a small smile.

He jumped off the bed and then walked out of the room, closing the door on his way out.

I picked up my phone from the drawer beside me.

Apparently, it hadn't fallen into the water along with me, it seemed to be working perfectly well.

I quickly dialed Katy's number and waited for it to ring. I had a few missed calls from mom too but right now she was the least of my concerns.

"Hello," she answered.

"Katy?" I answered in a panic.

"Your voice sounds dumber than usual. What happened to you?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Why weren't you answering your phone? Another missed call and I was about to call the police." I answered in a panic.

"I had such a long day. I did some shopping. I was so tired after that, so I decided to go shopping again." She answered. "By the way, you are going to have to tell mom you won the lottery since I'm not old enough to play." She added.

I was going to kill her once I got back.

"Don't tell me you brought the whole store. You are going to have to work the rest of your life to pay back every cent," I argued. I was going to have to give Tristan a long apology for his bank balance. What was he thinking when he gave a teenager his credit card?

"Don't worry, not all of it came from his card. Your mother-in-law offered. I only brought half the store." She answered.

What was I thinking when I allowed Tristan to take me on that jet? This child could not be trusted on her own.

"Ashley," she said, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"Yes," I answered with a sigh.

"I love you. I couldn't have asked for a better sister," she said. "I'd also love you a lot more if you could find me a European boyfriend while you are there," she added.

"Do you only love me when you need something?" I asked.

"Of course not. I'm going to hang up now because I'm hoping you'll make me an aunt by the end of your trip." She said.

I sighed again.

"Okay, bye. You are supposed to be in class." I reminded her.

"I was too depressed today. I'll decide if I want to tomorrow." She answered.

I was really starting to regret leaving her alone.

She hung up the phone after having our final goodbyes.

It made me feel a lot better knowing that she was okay. I'd be a lot better off if I was out of here.

Tristan came back not too long after. He looked a bitfrantic and out of breath. "Unfortunately, I have to show up at the auction tonight. I'll only be in and out of the event. I'll be back in a few minutes." He informed.

What kind of person shows up to his own event for a few minutes?

"I want to go," I found myself saying.

Tristan's eyes shot wide open as he looked at me in disbelief. "Are you sure? You should probably get some rest, maybe some sleep would be good for you." He answered.

"I feel perfectly fine," I answered.

There wasn't a reason for me not to attend.

If I stay here hiding away, it will just mean that Jocelyn will have won and she needs to be stopped.

He was on his way to making his next argument, but I was already getting out of bed, standing up straight to prove just how fine I was.

"I'm perfectly fine," I assured him. "You should go and get dressed. It wouldn't look appropriate if you were late for your own event," I said. I was now pushing him out of my room.

He didn't seem to have much of an argument after that. I had already closed the door in his face.

I was reminded of just how clueless I was about the event that Tristan was hosting. What would I even wear? I'd have to start off with the dresses Cassia showed me earlier.

And to think that not too long ago I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I had a feeling this was almost over.

There was a knock on my door. It would probably be Tristan. I wouldn't be surprised if he was here to talk me out of going.

"Go away!" I yelled at the door.

"It's just some people here to help you prepare for the event," Tristan yelled back.

That would probably be helpful.

I unlocked my door, allowing two women in. Tristan shook his head at me, showing his disapproval.

With the help of the two ladies, preparing became a lot easier. I was outnumbered when they chose a red off-the-shoulder dress over a black one.

Working through my hair alone took nearly an hour. I was beginning to think that Tristan had given up and left without me, or had probably taken a nap. I wish Ivy was here. She would go crazy over this. It's such a shame she isn't here for me to share this with her.

After make-up and hair, I could finally see the final result.

My hair was in a high ponytail, my red lipstick matching the red dress with contrasting silver heels.

From my jeans and t-shirt, this was an upgrade.

The two women were the first to leave the room, giving me a moment to gather myself.

I took a deep breath, gathering the courage to step out of the room.

Surprisingly, Tristan was still here. Fully dressed in a black tux with his jaw brushed back.

The sound of my heels caught his attention.

He slowly looked up, his eyes meeting mine. My brain spiralled into a panic as he observed my every move. I couldn't quite read him. He had a blank look on his face. The only thing I knew was that it made me nervous. If this didn't stop it in a minute, I might seriously wind up in the hospital this time.

"How do I look?" I asked standing a few steps in front of him.

He didn't answer, he remained unmoved. His eyes were still searching mine.

Did I look that bad? I thought the two ladies had done a good job, all things considered.

"You can't go wearing that." He answered with a straight face.

"Why? Is it that bad?" I asked, my mind racing.

He was now approaching me, taking small steps at a time.

I didn't have time to change. I'd have to redo the make-up too and I'm sure that by then, the event will be over.

He was now only a few inches away from me. His presence became more demanding. His strong scent filled my nostrils. "There is no way you can go there looking this gorgeous." He whispered. I felt his breath brush against my ear, sending tingles down my spine.

I stepped away from him, slapping him gently on the shoulder. "You can't mess with me like this," I answered, my heart rate returning to normal.

"I'm serious. Isn't there some law in this country that says it's illegal for you to look this good?" he replied convincingly.

Thank goodness for makeup, my cheeks would probably be bright red right now.

"Come here," I heard him say.

Before I had the chance to respond, he was drawing me closer to him with his arms around my waist before placing his lips against mine.

Initially, I was shocked. I found myself responding to the kiss. Throwing away all logic and ignoring every alarm bell in my head.

This wasn't going to end well.

Our kiss was heated. All the emotions I had been trying to suppress resurfaced. I wasn't thinking, it was just me and him at this moment.

He pulled away then smirked at me teasingly, his eyes meeting mine. "What were we just about to do? Were we even going somewhere?" He whispered, his face clueless.

All I could think about was the warmth of his lips against mine and how good it felt having him close again. How could he be so calm after that?

It took me ten seconds to snap back to reality. Where am I right now?

"You have an event." I reminded.

"Why don't we just stay in and not leave this place?" He whined. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me even closer to him.

"We can't, you are hosting." I reminded him.

He stared at me, his lips pouting.

Why did he have to be this cute?

I was the one having to drag him out of the suite.

Luckily, the event was being held in a hall downstairs. It meant it would take us five minutes to get there instead of half an hour.

The event had already started with soft music playing in the background.

There was a podium at the far end. Theguests were walking around and deep in conversation. The kind of guests here were the kind of guests I normally serve. What was I even doing here?

I felt Tristan's arm tighten around mine. He could probably see how anxious I was.

"Tristan," A man approached us. He stepped over to whisper something to Tristan.

I looked around the room. There were no familiar faces. I've never felt more out of place. I would probably have been a lot happier just being one of the waiters. I'd be invisible.

"I'll be right back," Tristan said as he kissed my arm.

He walked away towards the stage.

I smiled, watching him as he was about to make his speech.

I heard some laughter behind me, and I knew exactly who it was from.

I slowly turned around, facing Jocelyn and her two minions. She just wasn't brave enough to face me without her minions. I felt my blood boil as I was reminded of the event earlier on.

What did she even want from me? It's not like she was interested in Tristan. She had her own rich husband to leech on.

To draw my attention, she cleared her throat. "Isn't it cute how the charity case made it to the charity ball?" she said.

Why did it feel like I was walking into mean girls? If I had wanted the high school experience, I would have stayed there.

Right now, she was making my blood boil. By now, it wasn't just about me anymore but about teaching her a lesson on how to treat people better.

"Jocelyn!" A voice said behind me. I turned around and a woman approached us. She looked elegant and confident in her one-shoulder dress with a long slit. I couldn't help but get a familiar sense from her. She stood beside, staring at Jocelyn who suddenly looked tense. "You'd think that for such a two-faced person, one of your faces would at least be pretty." The woman said.

"Nicole," Jocelyn answered, her eyes widening, almost as if she was about to choke on her own words. "I was just... "

"Leaving." Nicole finished her sentence.

Jocelyn and her friends made a U-turn, Nicole eyeing them as they walked.

"I don't know what I did to her," I whispered with a sigh.

"Don't worry, she is just bitter because her husband has taken on a mistress because she can't have any children." She answered. "You shouldn't let people talk to you like that, you know?" she said.

"I was about to punch her in the face," I answered.

"Then maybe we could light her cheap hair extensions on fire," Nicole added.

I stood silent not knowing how to react, a bit too violent but I liked where she was going with this.

"Maybe that's a bit extreme," she admitted. "I'll just get some popcorn and watch. Punching her implants out of place would also work just fine." She laughed.

"We could have worked with that," I answered.

I turned away, paying attention to Tristan delivering a speech.

"How do people stand to be around him?" I heard Nicole whisper. "He looks like a representation of every hair commercial." She added.

"You don't like him, do you?" I asked her.

She turned around giving me her full attention. "Like him?" she repeated, her eyebrows raised. "You can say I hold a little bit of resentment." She replied.

"I find that difficult to believe. He is too likeable," I answered recalling our moment earlier.

"Well, on his twenty-first birthday, my parents brought him a Porsche. They completely forgot about my birthday and didn't get me anything." She answered.

That must have hurt. "I'm sure they probably forgot because they are very busy people," I answered in their defence. Anyone who can buy a Porsche is probably not sitting around on the couch.

"We were born on the same day," she answered.

"Ouch," I answered. There was no defending that.

"So, I'm guessing you two are related," I answered trying to make sense of everything. They didn't have much of a resemblance but what were the chances?

"He is my cousin," she answered.

"I don't remember Vincent having a sister," I answered.

"Not that pea brain. Our parents were triplets." She clarified. "I'd like to think that I'm the one with the brains in the family," she added.

So far, I was impressed.

"Wait, you two were born on the same day?" I recalled.

"Our parents were competitive. Vincent's parents won the first one. Right now, there is currently a 'who gets a grandchild first' race and it's more intense than the space race." She answered.

The crowd was now clapping. Tristan had just concluded his speech and I hadn't heard any of it.

He stepped down from the podium and walked down to approach us with a smile.

"Nicole," Tristan said, acknowledging her presence with a smile. "I wasn't expecting you. What happened to 'I'd rather die than attend any of your events?'" He asked.

"It was either this or going on another arranged date. I thought it would be a lot better if I'd just come here to support my little cousie." She answered with a smile.

"I'm older," Tristan argued.

"I'm not about to argue with you which one of us is the older. If you are referring to your ego as the bigger one, I'd have to agree with you." She retorted.

"Yes, thank you. You ruined my birthdays for me you know? This is what I had to deal with for more than twenty years." He pointed out.

"I see you didn't even invite Aunt Layla. I was really looking forward to seeing her today." Nicole smiled.

"You know she'd do nothing but embarrass me. She'd think this whole event was about her. I can't have her here." Tristan answered.

"That's true." She smiled. "Every time I see you, I feel so much better about my parents." She admitted.

"Does anyone else remember the time your parents got me a Porsche on your birthday?" Tristan laughed.

Nicole's smile quickly disappeared. "Fine, you win." She admitted.

Tristan's smile disappeared just as quickly. He wasn't taking victory like I would have expected. He now looked rather concerned as he stared past my shoulder. "Grandpa is coming this way." He whispered.

His grandfather was here? I wasn't mentally prepared for this. How was I even supposed to act around this man? I had not received any kind of warning or prep talk before this.

I took a deep breath, surprisingly managing to calm myself.

I man approached us. I knew it was Tristan's grandfather by the way his cane clicked against the floor, demanding everyone's attention in the room and by the stern look both Tristan and Nicole had as he continued walking.

"Tristan son," He walked over and approached Tristan, giving him a pat on the back.

I stood frozen, not knowing how to react.

"I look forward to buying most of the items tonight. I have my cheque ready to go," he said. "I look forward to seeing everyone's faces, giving them a chance to think that they can have it then taking it away." He laughed.

"I don't remember you sending that kind of money the last time I hosted an auction," Nicole interjected.

"I also don't remember your last name being Montenegro." He said bluntly. "Your mother did not want to change your last name as I suggested," he said.

I sensed a bit of resentment there.

"Aren't I lucky not to have your last name?" Nicole answered sarcastically.

A waiter walked past us. Nicole took a glass of champagne for herself which she drank in a few gulps.

"Who is your friend over here?" His grandfather asked.

"This is Ashley. She is my guest tonight." Tristan answered. As if holding a treat behind him, his voice sounded defensive.

"I brought my own guest here tonight too." He answered with a smug look. He was more relaxed, ignoring Tristan's and Nicole's hostile attitudes.

So far, he didn't seem too bad, not like most of the guests I've met. Sure, he certainly had a couple of issues he needed to work through.

I found my mind drifting away as I looked towards the door.

All the emergency alarm bells in my head immediately went off.

I couldn't believe who had just walked into the building.

With her slick hair, a navy-blue mermaid-shaped dress and popping red lips.

Madison was walking towards us.

What is she doing here? My brain immediately yelled.

Tristan noticed her appearance not long after. He seemed just as shocked as I was as she continued to approach us.

She stood right behind Tristan's grandfather, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Grandpa, what is she doing here?" Tristan asked. His fists were clenched. "Maybe we should have security throw you out," he said to Madison.

I just hope I haven't walked into a blood bath. She didn't look happy the last time she left.

"You haven't told them already?" Madison asked surprised, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Tristan's grandfather cleared his throat. "Tristan son, that is not how I raised you." He began. "That is no way to talk to my wife." He announced.

________________________________

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. I hope you liked the chapter.

Please comment down your thoughts.

In a few chapters, I will start concluding this story. Don't worry about it, I will be exposing everything so I hope you'll be able to enjoy the process.