Chapter 90
Asher’s POV
I kept my hand wrapped around the glass, red wine bubbling inside. My fingers were cold against the slick surface
My eyes darted across the room; there was a sea of guests chatting loudly, but my gaze found just one person. Another drink slid down my throat, sharp and burning.
I had lost count of how many drinks 1 had; it should have helped dull my senses, but it didn’t. It didn’t dull the irritation simmering inside me
Derrick.
The dumbass photographer. The smug, audacious prick. Oh, the nerve of him! It was already bad enough that he was hanging around by throughout her trip. It was maddening that he touched her, even in the slightest.
Just thinking about it made me seethe. But he also had the audacity to follow her here and attend my event! Who gave him an invitation in the first place? Ivy? I loved her so much, but damn, she was making my blood boil.
I gritted my teeth, my fists clenching tightly as I downed the contents of my glass. Grabbing a fresh glass of wine from a passing waiter, I thought, Ivy. It tasted just like her.
I shut my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. When I opened them, I glanced at him – he was still there, too damn close, laughing like some kind of idiot at what she was saying. His eyes lingered on her far too long.
My pulse kicked up, and I took another gulp of my drink, trying to tame the jealousy slowly enveloping my heart.
I glanced at the small group around me. I was too deep in thought to make any sense of what they were saying. The voices around me faded in and out- something about projections, revenue estimates, and growing potential. I should have listened.
I should have nodded, smiled when necessary. They were investors I was hoping to do business with, but I didn’t do any of that. Instead, I watched Derrick, watching him stare at my wife like that.
I looked up to see pairs of eyes staring at me. “What?”
“Are you alright, Mr. Sterling?” one of the men asked. “You seem distracted…”
I sighed and cleared my throat. “What was the question again?”
“Mr. Kyoto here gave a detailed analysis of the business projections. What do you think about his analysis, Mr. Sterling?” another man asked. He was tall and lanky.
“Yeah, looks good,” I muttered distractedly. My eyes flicked back to the scene. Derrick was moving closer to Ivy now, bending down to adjust his lens. That was too much. He was getting too comfortable.
She was laughing, carefree, with no thought whatsoever – no thought for the media littered in every corner, no thought for our families present, no thought for me, her husband.
Focus, Asher, I chanted in my head.
But it was no use. I downed the rest of my drink, the glass now empty in my hand, and shook my head, excusing myself. “I’ll be right back,” I said, not bothering to make eye contact with anyone. I needed space. I needed to clear my head.
I walked across the room, my eyes darting over the guests and dignitaries. All these people had gathered here for me and for what I had done with Sterling Winery, but I couldn’t enjoy it.
As I made my way toward the bar, I greeted a few guests absentmindedly, smiled, and waved at a couple. The chatter around me faded into nothing.
1/3
Chapter 90
The server looked up when I approached, his eyes flickering toward the glass was holding, I cut him off before he could speak, the something I said quietly, leaning in. My voice was low. “I’ve got a task for you. Good sum of money if you do it right?
His eyes sharpened, his stance becoming a little straighter. He glanced nervously behind him.
“Hey, look at me,” I stated, pointing to my face. I got right to the point.
“I need you to lure Ivy upstairs, to the music room.” I glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “Tell her Janine is the one who sent for She’ll bite.”
I saw the flicker of hesitation in his eyes, but I didn’t wait for him to question it. I was already scanning the room. My eyes darted over the crowd Janine was nowhere to be seen.
I turned back to the server, my voice low and sharp. “Actually, scratch that. Tell her Janine is looking for her. She’s panicked about something. But you need to go get her now. An emergency. Got it?”
The server nodded, but I was already too distracted. My eyes found ivy again. She was standing there, looking straight at me.
Shit.
“Abort. Abort the whole damn thing. She’s looking right at me. She knows something’s up,” I whispered to the waiter.
Straightening up, my heart pounded harder. My mouth quirked into a small smirk, a look I knew Ivy couldn’t resist. I squeezed the server’s shoulder lightly, signaling him to back off. “Get someone else to do it.”
As I turned to walk back toward Ivy, I gave her one last glance. She hadn’t moved. She was still watching me, her eyes narrowed.
Fixing my tie, I walked over and offered her that smirk I knew drove her wild. Her lips twitched. She didn’t smile yet. But when I got her alone, she’d be singing a different tune.
Ivy’s POV
I couldn’t help it. I was giggling, my laughter light and carefree.
“He was watching us,” Derrick said to me. “I think it worked. I think we may have succeeded in fooling him. He actually thinks we’re together.”
“That’s good then,” I answered.
“You should have seen the look on his face. I captured a few shots on my camera.”
My eyes lit up in excitement, and I giggled. “You should send them to me as soon as possible!”
“Oh, surely, love!” Derrick whispered in my ear. “Anything for you.”
Just then, a waiter approached us.
He leaned in close- almost too close- and lowered his voice. “Janine asked for you. She’s in the music room upstairs. She wants to see you; she said it’s an emergency.”
I blinked, caught off guard. Janine? Why would she be up there? I didn’t have time to overthink it. I nodded, “Give me a moment, Derrick,” I whispered in his ear. Smiling politely at the small group of people around us, I slipped away. I could feel their eyes on me as I left.
When I reached the elevator, it was packed with guests, and the thought of waiting made me nervous. The waiter who had come to me had sounded worried. What kind of emergency could Janine be in, and why didn’t she just call me?
I glanced at the stairs and took them. My heart started to pick up speed, and I wasn’t sure why.
2/3
Chapter 90
At the top, I pushed open the heavy doors to the music room. The dim light cast long shadows, and the air felt beamer Kern, que
A massive grand plano gleamed in the corner, its polished wood catching what little light streamed through the windows
The faint scent of wood and something floral hung in the air, and I couldn’t help but notice it as i stepped further inside
“Hello?” I called softly, my voice uncertain. I glanced around; there was no one in sight.
The room was still, and for a moment, I thought I might be alone. But then I heard it.
“Hello, flower.”
2
My breath caught at the sound of the voice deep, smooth, and unmistakably familiar. My heart stumbled, then began to race.
1 froze for a moment before turning, trying to steady my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
“Asher,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “What’s this about?”
