Chapter 10: The Resignation

I burst into the room as Megan was looking up from her paperwork. I was furious that I don't want to think about anything else but her. Yeah, that's right. It is time for me to end this bullshit once and for all.

"Well, it looks like you have come back from hell, Ashley," she said as she pulled her glasses from her nose. I was breathing hard as I asked Ashton and Aleena to bring me to the headquarters first thing when we're in the city.

"You lied to me," I said as I was fuming with anger. The hormones were acting up but I don't care for it nearly got me killed last time when Megan withdrew some information that she might share with me.

"I did not lie, Ashley," she said as she was looking at me before she sighed, "I just withdrew the information so that you will not be controlled by your emotions," she said as I was gripping my hands into fists.

"That's even worse," I barked before Megan just arched her eyebrow.

"Is it? or are you mad that your best friend was in the game and you're not? I cannot afford to lose the information of our military defense. We can't let them have it," she said before I was crossing my hands in front of my chest.

"And you think by not telling me, I would be easy to be manipulated?" I asked her before I laughed in her face.

"I thought we're friends," I mumbled before I turned to look at Megan. My anger returned.

"But it would seem that I was the only one that feels that way," I said before I was taking my weapons and set them on her desk. She knew what I was trying to do and she did not forbid me to do it.

I cannot hold it together anymore. Not with this pregnancy and my husband who did not love me. perhaps this was my ending for I was sure I was destined to be alone forever.

Assassin or not.

"I'm done," I said as I put my last weapon on the desk. Megan just arched her eyebrow before she turned to look at me.

"Then, you know what you have to do." She said before I was leaning forward to see Megan eye to eye level.

"Gladly," I said before I was taking the pill from her hand and took it. I know what I was asking for and this time, no one—no one—will change my mind ever again. Not Ashton, not Aleena. And certainly not Megan.

"Have a nice life, Megan," I said before I swallowed the pill and everything went blank.

*****

I did not know what happened by my eyes were heavy and my back was suffering. I groaned before I tossed and turned as I was looking at the unfamiliar house that was in my surroundings. I blinked as the curtains were swayed by the breeze of the ocean that I can hear from outside.

"Where am I?" I asked before someone was rasping at the door. I turned to look who was it and it was someone that I don't know.

His black hair and hazel eyes were staring at me as he was leaning against the door frame. I was gripping the blanker for I was in a room with a stranger.

"Yes?" I asked him as he was turning to look at my face. There was something familiar about him but I don't know what it was. So, I did what I always did whenever I was in a difficult situation.

I blurted out the question that was lingering in my mind.

"Are you my kidnapper?" I asked him before his eyes went big as a saucer. Then, he smiled before he shook his head. He cleared his throat as he took a step forward into the room.

"Please don't hurt me," I added as the man was tilting his head to the side. Looking at me curiously as if I had swallowed something strange.

Perhaps I did but I cannot be sure now.

"Ashley, do you know who I am?" he asked. His baritone voice was hitting in the places that I don't know I want to acknowledge. But yes, his voice was making me shiver in a good way. I wanted his voice to wrap me in his cocoon.

If I know who he really was.

"Ashley, it's me. Your husband, Ashton?" he asked me before my head was pounding. I put my fingers to my temples as something was trying to resurface but nothing. Ashton? That sounded familiar.

"I…I…I can't be sure now," I said as I was turning to look at the mattress that I was sitting on. The blanket was covering my body as I can sense that I was wearing a nightgown underneath it. I sighed before I turned to look at the handsome stranger. He slumped at my declaration.

"I see," he said quietly before he cleared his throat and looked at me. Ashton smiled.

"I get the breakfast for you, you must be hungry," he said before he closed the door and I was left alone, confusion was inside my head but my heart was beating as if I wanted to go after him.

What is the matter with me?

*****

Ashton was back in the room as he set the tray in front of me. I was still wary of him as I was leaning against the headboard before Ashton was pouring the orange juice into the glass and handed it to me.

"Orange juice?" he asked and I took it from his hand. Our fingers touched and electricity was making me shiver. Ashton turned to look at me but I brushed the feeling away.

"Here, you should get some food into you. You look thin," he said as he was putting some bacon and sausages on my plate as I was looking at the omelet. My stomach growled and I was blushing for this stranger was smirking at me.

"Well, have at it," he said before I was picking up the fork and took some of the food. I brought it to my mouth and I was eating it, looking at Ashton as I chewed them. He was sipping on the orange juice and smacked his lips. It was glistening with the juice and my core was wet at the sight.

Ashton took some sausage and ate them. I was looking at the mouth, the sensual mouth that I wanted to kiss so badly, as I was eating slowly of my breakfast. We were in comfortable silence before everything was burning inside me.

I wanted him, so badly that I ached. Then, I took the step.

I pushed the tray off the bed before I was pulling Ashton by his collar. He was surprised before I was claiming his mouth. I don't care if he was a stranger or someone that I have to be wary of. But my core was aching and I know he was the one that can subdue it.

"Hmm," he groaned before he was pushing me on the bed. The tray was sprawling on the floor as I was kissing him fervently. Ashton was roaming my body with his calloused, rough hands before I was breaking the kiss as he was kissing my throat.

"Ashley," he said my name as if I was something special. I don't know what was happening but I know that Ashton belonged to me. We belonged together.

"Ashton," I moaned before he was ripping my nightgown. I was ripping his shirt off as I was touching the hard chest underneath my palms. Ashton groaned before I was looking into his eyes. He was looking at me with a painful expression on his face.

"What is it?" I asked him before Ashton climbed off me. I turned to look at his back as he was rubbing his face with his hands.

"Ashton?"

"I'm sorry. I cannot do this," he said before he was about to flee. But I grabbed his wrists and I pulled him back into the mattress. I was straddling his hips before some images were flashing in front of my eyes.

The burning.

The terror.

The torture and the screaming.

Ashton kissed someone that I wanted to rip her head off.

I gasped before I was looking at him. Ashton was gripping my waist as I was pushing at his shoulders.

"You…you…"

"I know that you will never forgive me, Ashley. For everything that I have done to you and all the things that happened. But I cannot forget you and I know that you will never want someone like me to be your husband—"

Everything was silent as I kissed him again. I was looking at his face when I broke it before the tears were dripping down my cheeks.

"Oh, Ashton. I love you. And nothing can take me away from you. I know you're not perfect and I don't ask you to be so but I want you to know that I love you, no matter what you think," I said as I was caressing his cheeks. Ashton's eyes glistened with tears before he hugged me and we were holding each other.

I remembered, despite the pill that I took, I remembered that Ashton was my husband. Even in pretense, I know that my love for him was real. And he was trying to make sure that I will accept him no matter what happened.

"And I love you, Ashley Banner. There's no one for me but you," he said as he pulled me by the nape into the kiss that was sweet and tender.

Like his love for me.