Chapter 8: The Pretense

Well, perhaps my wish was too much when I was transferred back to the torture room. I thought I was making some progress but of course that bitch, the blonde woman, was making it difficult for me to escape.

And to think that I could sway Ashton to be on my side.

I sighed as the chains around my wrists were clacking against the wall. Then, the room was opened, revealing the blonde woman and Ash in tow.

"Ah, I see that you're not bleeding and I can torture you even more," she said before I was glaring at her. Seriously, I will kill her the first thing after I was escaping this mess. But for now, play like a dumb doe.

"Fred told me that it will be no use for us if you're dead. And we still need that information for your military secret. My love," she said as she was extending her arm, asking Ash to pick a torture device from the tray. Ashton picked up something and it was a flog. She grimaced.

"Love, I don't think—"

"She is still recovering and we don't want the villagers to suspect that we were killing people here. Good thing that old woman did not say anything after treating her," Ash said logically while the blonde woman grimaced. But she agreed anyway. She shrugged before she raised the flog and I was waiting for the torture to come.

Then, I only heard my own screams.

*****

I was leaning against the wall as I was looking at the room. I was back in the torture room but this time with a loose chain that I can move around with. But not close enough to get to the door and I was sitting too far from the tray to get something from it.

Yes, they have given me some space for me to walk and perhaps do some exercise. I don't know who influenced who but if I have to guess, it was Ashton.

Ashton the Traitor.

I sighed before I was leaning against the wall as I was closing my eyes. I took a deep breath before the door opened meaning that my evening meal was here. It was usually one of the guards that were coming in.

But tonight it was Ashton.

I stepped back as I was leaning even more against the wall when he put the tray on the floor. He was looking at me, wanting me to approach the meal before he can get out of the room.

"Are you going to go now?"

"Are you going to eat now?"

I grimaced before I stepped forward and pulled the tray onto my laps. It was soup with hot bread tonight. The soup was chicken soup and my mouth watered at the sight. Then, I dug in, not caring that Ashton was looking at me with his hazel eyes.

"You've lost weight," he said as a matter of fact before I rolled my eyes. I stuffed even more bread into my mouth.

"Of course, when you're a prisoner, you don't get much choice in the food department," I said with my mouth full of food before Ashton was grimacing at me. I shrugged before I sipped on the soup. It was delicious and I bet my life that Ashton was cooking it.

"Will you ever give the secret?" he asked quietly after he took a seat on the floor. My hands still on the water before I sipped it. I cleared my throat as I was putting the tray aside before I regarded my husband.

Well, ex-husband after this.

"I don't think you will not give the information even when your life was on the line," Ashton said that made me roll my eyes at him.

"Then you know that you will waste your time to convince me to give it up," I said as I was looking at him now. Ash smirked before his hazel eyes shone with mischief.

"And why do you think that I would even ask for it? you know I can get the information for the last year that we were together," he said before I was clenching my jaws.

The year where I gave my love to him only to have him stab me in the back. The bastard.

"Right, the year where I thought I was going to build a family with you but turns out, you're not even thinking about it," I whispered before I was looking at the ground. Ashton sucked on his breaths.

"Ashley, I—"

"Get out. I don't want to see your face. Just let me be miserable alone here," I said before my tears were in my eyes. Stupid hormones. Why does it has to do something that I don't want to show my weakness to Ashton right now?

The silence was deafening and he did not even move. I sighed before I was turning to look at him and stunned by the emotions that were playing in his eyes. Then, my husband looked away.

"Are you even going to tell me that you're pregnant?" he asked quietly before I was biting my lower lips. I was supposed to be talking about this when we had our chance but then, he has to go, and now the truth came out.

Everything was a mess. My life, my husband, my secret…I don't think that my life would be this complicated when I laid with him for the first time that night after our banter. I sighed.

"Ashton, I—"

"So, you don't even consider to tell me?" he asked before Ash laughed bitterly as he rubbed his mouth. I bit my lips.

"No, of course not. I was thinking of talking to you about it when you're back from your job but apparently, that will never happen now. For I am doomed to be here and die with this…child of mine," I said the last one quietly, knowing that Ash did not want it.

He did suggest aborting our child.

"You think I would not—"

I snapped my eyes to him, feeling the anger inside me. he knew that he was suggesting that I would get an abortion and now he was trying to get my heart wound up again. I stood up as I was sizing him up before I was gritting my teeth.

"This is the proof that my love was real, even when you're dallying with your…woman. I know that I am only a target for you to sleep and perhaps play with my emotions but know this, Ashton Flammen or Frederic Rhein, my love was real and with that, I decided to show it to the world when this baby came to the world. If he survived," I said as the tears were free-flowing now. I cannot stop the sob that was coming from me, knowing that I will be left alone to nurture this love, our love. And I will be proud to do it even when my husband thought otherwise. I was about to tell him more about my decision when Ashton pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

I gasped, not knowing what was going on until my body yielded to his desire. Lust and want. I cannot deny it either for every time I saw him, my heart beat faster and I cannot seem to contain my eagerness when Ash would look my way and see for who I was.

The real me.

I moaned before Ashton was pushing me against the wall, hooking his arms around my knees before he was grinding himself to me. I was arching my back as I was gripping his hair. It has been too damn long I have him in my arms.

And I was aching for it.

"Ash," I whispered as he was kissing my jaws and throat. I moaned even more before his hands were fumbling with my suit and unzipped it. I was wet in my nether mouth for I was breathing hard when that hazel eyes were focusing on me. I was fumbling with his belt before I was unzipping his pants and pulled them down his thighs.

His erected cock sprang free as I was gripping it in my hands. Ash hissed before he was kissing me again, his tip was at my entrance.

"Even with everything that happened, I still want you, Ashley Banner, and you want me too," he whispered before he slammed into me. I arched my back even more as the chains were rattling. Ashton was pumping in and out of my core as I was gripping his hair while his tongue was on my nipples.

"Ashton," I moaned his name before he was increasing his tempo. Being pregnant has its perks as I was easily aroused and Ashton was making me aroused with desire for him even more. I was wrapping my legs around his torso and pushed my heels into his buttocks. I was kissing his neck before I bit down, not enough to draw blood but it will leave a hickey tomorrow.

"Ashley," Ashton moaned, feeling the desire between us even though we're supposed to be enemies. Perhaps the forbidden love was making it even tastier and sweeter than anything. I was moving in sync with him and before I know it, the stars exploded as I was screaming his name at the top of my lungs.

"My love,"

It just came out like when we're used to it. I know I shouldn't call it but my heart was having a hard time recognizing that Ashton was my enemy. And I was his. But what can a woman in love like me think when my husband was ravishing me as he starved for it? I cannot just let this feeling go for I was desperate for it as well.

I guessed we're well-matched after all, blurring the lines between lust and love for a forbidden love that would never blossom to anything else.

Well, except the baby that was growing inside me to be the proof of our romance to each other, no matter what people say about it.