Monitored

Grace told him everything about how she came to find out about Ashley and how she also met Richard.

"I wonder who was the one who told Ashley about Greg's betrayal of her," Grace muttered when she heard Tristen cough.

"AHEM.. mom, I think it's time for me to sleep" Tristen cleared his throat and shoved his mother out of his room.

Grace was so smart that it didn't take time for her to guess her children's thoughts; that was the only reason no one in this house could keep any secrets.

Exiting Tristen's room, Grace headed towards her room only to find Trevor going through some files.

"I was waiting for you to pester me about hiding Ashley's truth from you" Grace, who had only told about it, Snow and Herd, asked them to keep it a secret until they didn't know when Ashley was going to break up with that guy.

But the tables turned fast when the news of her breakup started to surface on every news channel, making them make a move.

Closing the file, Trevor removed his specs and looked at his wife for a while," I don't need to scold you when I know you wouldn't do anything that would harm our children" Trevor reached out his hand and pulled Grace. Making her sit next to him.

He had immense faith in whatever decision's his wife took for them. And if she had seen a bright future for both Ashley and Tristen, then who was he to doubt her?

"You know I agree with whatever you say," he said, wrapped his hands around her waist, and was about to kiss her when the door of their room swung open.

"Thud"

"...."

"...."

"You both should lock the door," Gwen, who barged inside the room invading their privacy, voiced her thoughts when she watched her parents about to kiss.

Grace pushed Trevor aside and moved back, looking at her daughter, who didn't know the primary manner of knocking on the door before barging inside anyone's room.

"Gwen, where are your manner? Can't you knock on the door before entering" Grace, tired of making her daughter act like a decent individual, always felt like all her education was in vain?

Lazily walking toward them, she took the chair and gawked at her mother before she opened her mouth," Mom, how can you hide such a big thing from us? your children"

Gwen was going crazy when she learned from her grandparents that they planned to set Ashley and Tristen up for this matchmaking thing.

All this while, she thought it was only her who knew about her elder brother's little secret; she was hell wrong-to be in that imaginary bubble.

Everyone was busy planning to hook up her elder brother with his long-time crush, and here she was, thinking about keeping it a secret.

Before Grace could answer, another angry voice came rushing in.

"Mom, how can you do this-" Gavin, the last one to burst, finally came running to question his mother.

Gwen nodded, and they sat in front of their mother, ready to fire her.

Grace knew it wasn't accessible to, like before, give them one candy and shove them away. They were all grown up and were old enough to share the adult thing with her.

Grace took a deep breath and told them everything from the beginning.

"Are you both satisfied now" she sighed and leaned back.

Gwen was left speechless when she discovered how smartly her mother had hidden from them. She had been keeping an eye on every kid and only they were the fools to think  their life wasn't monitored anymore.

*****

After returning to her apartment, Ashley freshened herself and lay lazily on her bed.

She couldn't forget how her time passed with Tristen and was even surprised that she didn't fight with him even once.

Her eyes looked at the ceiling above when her phone began to ring. Her thought broke, and she looked at the side table, reaching for her hand to get her phone.

"Hello, Ash has seen the news," Alice yelled in her worried voice, making Ashley pull back her cell phone from her ear.

"Alice, you need to lower your voice. I am not deaf," Ashley turned on the speaker and said with a lazy tone.

"Ash.. you are not getting me to go and turn on the television. Greg and Jane have made their relationship official in public," Alice huffed, speaking without a break which made Ashley climb down the bed immediately and rush out into the living area to turn on the television.

Ashley's eyes bulged out in shock when she saw every news channel featuring Greg and Jane's pictures.

"Did you see that bastard? He didn't even wait until your breakup news surpassed and just made their relationship official" Alice was pissed with the way Greg acted immaturely.

He knew their breakup had just occurred two days earlier, yet he was flashing his teeth and posing with his new girlfriend.

Alice had never liked Greg from the beginning, but because of Ashley's immense faith in that man that, she waited for him to change. But that change never came, and this man grew even more unfaithful.

Ashley couldn't take her eyes off the television screen as she held the phone in her hand tightly.

She had come to learn that Greg was that shameless man who was greedy for fame and name. First, it was her whom he used to climb the ladder of success, and now when he was a well-known face, he cheated on her with her so-called friend.

Her eyes turned deadpan cold as she looked at their proximity.

"Alice, I will talk to you later," she said without breaking her gaze from the picture, which kept appearing with every channel she changed.

Her eyes had turned darker, and she could feel her body burn in anger. She had wasted two years loving a person who didn't value her.

Greg used her for fame and name, but he doesn't know if she can make him earn that fame. She can even pull him down, falling straight to the ground.

"You think I will let you go that easy after humiliating me so much? No, Greg...you have mistaken me for someone dumb. Earlier I acted according to your demands because I loved you but not anymore. This Ashley, whom you used for your benefit, will show you how it feels to get betrayed and left alone embarrassed."

She dialed a number and called Miley, asking her to pull Greg's name from every brand he had because of her and make sure not to get her name mentioned.

"You will now see how it feels to lose everything in a blink of an eye" smirking, she played with her phone and walked back to her room.

Tomorrow was showtime, and she couldn't wait to witness it with her own eyes.

*****

Ashley had been having her beauty sleep when her phone began to beep. She opened her eyes a little and looked at the caller who had called her early morning.

She frowned when she saw an unknown number flashing on the screen.

Looking for a while, she picked up the call and said," Whose this" she said with her sleepy voice when the person on the other end chuckled.

"I thought you already saved my number," Tristen said with a sad voice that made Ashley get up a jerk.

"Tristen!!" she asked and shut her eyes, cursing herself in her mind.

How did she forget to save his number? She cursed and held the phone tightly next to her ear.

"Sorry, I forgot to add your number to the contact list," she apologized and continued, "By the way, doesn't a CEO of a multinational company has work to do? Then why is this CEO calling me early morning," Ashley said teasingly and scratched the back of her neck.

"I think you should just check the time. It's eleven in the morning, and as per my knowledge, every normal person is off to work by this time" his words made Ashley frown, and she pulled back her phone, checking the time, which made her gasp.

"Oh my god, I am late," she squealed loudly, making the man chuckle again.

"Now that I woke you up, shouldn't you thank me" Tristan's words calmed her.

Ashley, who had never slept for so long, felt like she had overslept today. It was always Miley who would come and wake her up, but today she wasn't here, which made her think.

"Ashley.. are you there" Tristen's voice made her pull back her thought, and she hummed," Huh.. yes, I am listening," she answered.

"You didn't answer me," he said, waiting for her to thank him, but that didn't come.

Ashley's lips curled up when she heard him. Why was he so persistent in making her speak with him?

"Why should I thank you? I am sure you had something to talk about with me, or else why would the Tristen Knight dare to call a lowkey model" Ashley dramatically asked.

"I just wanted to make sure that you are fine..." his words made her smile disappear.