Miley had come to receive Ashley and was waiting for her at the exit of the airport. Ashley wore a mask as she hide her identity avoiding getting caught by the media stepped out and saw her manager waiting for her.
As soon as she saw her walking towards her she opened the van door for her and she stepped in followed by her.
Ashley was about to relax inside the car when Miley pulled down her mask and showed her madam her worried face.
"Why does it look like you are about to cry?" Ashley who was used to Miley's exaggerated behavior rolled her eyes and leaned back to take a nap ignoring her face.
"It's isn't me who is about to cry but you ma'am" she muttered with her trembling lips and saw Ashley shot open her eyes and glare at her.
Miley who felt her soul leave her body covered her mouth and watched Ashley's deadpan face.
'Why did she have to deal with this when everything was under control' Miley felt like getting out of the vehicle and taking the first bus which would take her back to her hometown.
She knew after what Ashley was going to hear will make her life more tiring than it already was.
Ashley arched her brow and looked at Miley with question-filled eyes," Just spill everything before I ask you to shift permanently in my apartment" Ashley used her blackmail card on Miley which she feared to hear from her mouth.
Miley shook her head and waved her hand in no," No ma'am I will say.. no I will show you" she said and turned on the tablet passing it to her.
Ashley who was calm all this while didn't bat an eye on what was written in the article that stated because of her affair with some other man Greg broke up with her.
"So now he puts the entire blame on me, stating me as the cheater here" Ashley smirked and passed back the tablet to her again leaning her head on the headrest and closing back her eyes.
Miley was dumbfounded by her reaction and watched her with doubtful eyes taking back the tablet hesitatingly and shrugging her shoulder thinking how can Ashley be so calm when her entire world is standing on the edge of the cliff.
Keeping her mouth shut she let go of the topic and waited for what was Ashley going to do now when Greg accused her of being the cheater in their relationship. She could only wait for the next.
*****
Jane's apartment
"Do you think this plan of yours will work? What if she exposes us" Jane asked looking at Greg with concern.
Greg wasn't initially planning to use Jane in his plan but he wanted to keep his side safer if he had to survive and strike back stronger than before.
"She won't expose us not when everyone is standing against her," he said and laid back a little resting on the bed.
Jane moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest and started drawing circles on it.
Greg propped his head a little and saw her in deep thought that made him arch his brow," Are you still worried about us getting exposed?" he asked making her look at him.
Jane knew how fierce Ashley can turn if someone stands against her fighting like a brave lady until she get successful. And now the people she was facing were those who backstab her by putting on a mask of a friend.
Greg who watched her still hesitant about his step sighed and cupped her face staring straight into her eyes," She doesn't have any proof against us Jane. No one knows it was me who cheated on her, then how will she prove her innocence" he said making her understand about no one being aware of him having an affair with her apart from Ashley.
Jane thought for a while grasping his words and a smile broke on her face," You're right" she said when she realized that no one except Ashley was aware of their love affair.
"Now I only need to act as if I was the victim here and let the people question her character. She tried to destroy my career but not anymore... she can't always have her ways like before" Greg's eyes turned dark the next moment when he recalled how badly he was cut off from every endorsement just because Ashley rejected to work with him and that lead question on their relationship status.
*****
The entire news channel was flooded with Ashley's and the mysterious man's photos which kept circulating on every channel she changed.
"Don't they have anything else to broadcast" throwing back the remote she lazily laid back and closed her eyes?
Even if she was calm and silent but her brain kept thinking about how someone managed to click hers and Tristan's pictures when they were alert to their surrounding.
There was no chance someone was keeping an eye on them every time they were together.
'What if the capturer has seen Tristan with me. But then why isn't his picture clear in the photos' she thought and sat straight reaching her hand to make a call.
She was about to call Tristan and asked him about the photos that were circulating on the television. She just wanted to make sure he wasn't in any trouble because of her but stopped when her eyes notice that it was Tristan's back the photographer and captured while his face wasn't even visible.
Ashley thought that there can be a possibility that the photographer only clicked her but couldn't click Tristan because every picture of their have her face seen but Tristan's it was only his back that had been captured in the pictures.
Ashley relaxed a little when her cellphone rang and the person who called was her father Richard.
"Hello" she heard her father's concerned voice.
Richard had been trying his best to suppress the news of his daughter ever since her picture with that anonymous man had started to circulate in the entire news channel. He had been receiving many calls asking him about his daughter cheating on her former and that lead them to break up.
Richard knew the real reason but even if he tried to clear his daughter's name yet some Greg fans tried to mock them back by calling his daughter various names.
He worried that in his absence his daughter would get targeted by those anti-fans
Ashley knew her father was worried for her and she didn't want him to get his blood pressure high by thinking she was again having an affair without his knowledge.
Heaving out a sigh, she told him everything and the person whom she was with. She didn't want to keep her father away when she had finally decided for herself.
Her father's words had somehow managed to knock some brain in her head and she didn't want to hide anything from him.
Richard finally relaxed when he heard Ashley's every word. So his daughter had finally agreed to marry Tristan. He felt so happy to see his daughter had finally started to see Tristan's love for her and that surprised him.
He didn't ask her when and how she had a change of heart and finally she agreed with his setup. All he wanted was his daughter to have a happy life away from all hate that she kept receiving the day she announced her relationship with that scumbag Greg.
After talking with Richard for some time Ashley finally ended the call. She was so relaxed that her father didn't judge her the way everyone out there was pointing at her.
She knew even if she publish a statement saying she wasn't the one in the picture and it was morphed just to target her still it won't make a difference. The pictures were already out in public eyes and now the environment around her was heated enough that her words wouldn't change anything.
She could only wait for the fire to dissipate a little before she comes out and explain herself.
****
Tristan reached the mansion and entered the house where he found his parents and grandparents sitting with seriousness on their faces.
He frowned and walked toward them when Grace sense his presence and lifted her head.
"What am I hearing Tristan" her words made him frown even more.
Tristan turned to his father and saw him shook his head giving him a disappointed look. He couldn't understand what his mother was talking about and why his father staring at him as if he had done a grave mistake.
Snow and Herd sat quietly motioning him to take the seat next to them.
Following their words, Tristan sat next to his grandfather and waited for his words.
"How can you not tell us, Tristan. I had immense faith in you and yet you didn't let your family know about this" Herd's hurtful words made Tristan look at them in confusion.
"What are you all talking about?" he asked as he couldn't take their disappointed look on him and just wanted to know his mistake.
He looked at every face with a concerned-filled eye waiting for anyone to come and speak when.
"Pfft... hahaha.."
"...."