Chapter 78

'Funny how you were so quick to leave last night, but you're here now" Adrian mused casually, leaning against the closet, as Ashleigh placed the rest of her things in his closet. She paused mid-fold, her hands freezing momentarily before returning like nothing happened. She expected his words, yet it still managed to tug at her heart. 'Just shut it, Adrian." Ashleigh snapped instead, her voice sharp and defensive as she shot him a scowl over her shoulder. Adrian chuckled lowly, amused by her reaction. Although the situation was not ideal, he couldn't hide his appreciation for the perpetrator, as it now brought Ashleigh to his side. And now, she will not be able to leave even if she wanted to. Once Ashleigh was done, she closed it and walked toward the center of the wide room, taking in it's aesthetic. Unlike her room which was filled with lighter colors, and personal touches, Adrian used deep tones and neutral colored paintings and furniture. The room was also less decorated than Ashleigh's own, as he did not spend much time in the room doing anything apart from resting and working. 'And why is your room so dark? I can barely see anything and it's afternoon" Ashleigh muttered under her breath, sinking into the only couch in the room, her hands playing with fabric. 'That is how I want it to be," Adrian responded without missing a beat, his eyes never leaving her. He settled next to her on the couch, and as leaned close to her she could feel the warmth of his body radiating through the air. 'Have any problem with it, Mrs Cagliari?" Ashleigh didn't flinch, she didn't speak either, as she did not want her voice to betray her emotions. However, a faint flush crept up her neck, betraying her. 'Not at all" she finally replied, cringing at how tight her voice sounded still. 'I'd prefer to discuss about more pending matters Adrian." Adrian's lips curled upward, and Ashleigh could feel the teasing energy in him. He let out a soft sigh of disappointment, stretching lazily across the couch. 'That's quite sad, Mrs. Cagliari" he spoke smoothly, trailing his hands across her bare arm. 'I thought we'd have a nice time together" Seeing Ashleigh blush, he decided not to push further and dive into the matter at hand. 'Ashleigh, about your college case" he started his tone turning more serious, reaching for the phone by his side to call his assistant. In a minute, Mr. Turner walked in with his tablet and handed it over to Adrian who looked at it over. 'We got some bits and pieces from your aunt the other day. We still need the whole picture" he said, and he observed as she curled her fists into her thighs. Ashleigh shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she recalled the conversation with Mrs. Smith the other day. A part of her hated that she had to constantly bring back those memories of that night so she could explain to her therapist, to her aunt and now to Adrian. The room went silent for a moment, punctuated by Ashleigh's sharp breathing and Adrian reached for her hand to place it on his. Her fingers stiffened as he stroked her hands gently, but she did not pull away. 'Well," Ashleigh began, her voice shaky, ' I was with my friends at the Robinette bash that night, and everything was fine for a while, until....." Her words faltered, and she took a deep breath. 'I got a text from the stalker. I was scared of the stalker's silence, he had not texted for a while but my friends reassured me that he'd be caught soon, since the school was working on it" Ashleigh paused, grabbing the phone Adrian had given her and unlocked the screen. Adrian took the phone from her, and began reading the messages. 'So, this person asked you to meet him?" Adrian questioned and Ashleigh nodded silently, her throat tightening. 'And you didn't tell your friends you received this message" Adrian furthered and she nodded silently. 'I was scared." Ashleigh defended, feeling the weight of her wrong decision 'And I also did not want them to be dragged into my mess more than they already have been" Adrian stared at her for a moment, his gaze intense and unreadable. Ashleigh stared at her clenched fists, trying to suppress the regret flooding her in waves. 'Even now, I wish I told them" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Adrian gently brushed her palms with his thumb. 'It's alright." He comforted quietly, and it sent a jolt through her. She was now very aware of her surroundings, and being in Adrian's presence made her feel vulnerable in ways she could not explain. His voice sounded through once again. 'I know that it's quite difficult to recall, but can you try to remember anything about the perpetrators that stood out to you?" Ashleigh closed her eyes momentarily and after a while, her eyes flashed open with shock. 'His perfume" she mumbled, her brow furrowing. 'His perfume when he hovered over me was faint, but it's something I have perceived before. That man was no ordinary man" Ashleigh said, and Adrian's interest piqued. Handing the phone to Mr. Turner, he instructed him 'Have the team analyze these two numbers, and get a good perfume expert" Ashleigh was surprised at his words, and after Mr. Turner left, she looked at Adrian for more clarification. 'What do you mean two numbers?" 'Well if you weren't so paranoid" Adrian said, his tone now more teasing, 'You'd have noticed that two separate numbers messaged you. You only realized that when you got to the scene" The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. And she now knew that this was a very cruel conspiracy from someone. 'But who'd go to such extent and why? Isn't this too extreme?" Ashleigh wondered to aloud as she paced the room, her mind racing with unanswered questions. Adriam watched her, his gaze firm. 'We'll find out soon." Unwilling to sit back with him, she turned towards her closet and began rummaging through her things. She needed to call her friends, and give them an explanation for shutting them out. Even though her college case was out of her control, this was not, and she now sees that she was not a good friend. On finding her second phone, she realized that it was dead from not charging it earlier. She did not want to see any more messages from the group chat about her infamous reputation. She grabbed her charger and went to an outlet to plug it. As she leaned forward, she felt Adrian's presence behind her and her heart skipped. 'What are you looking for?" his voice came through smoothly. 'I need to call my friends," Ashleigh replied, not turning to face him. 'And these friends..." he trailed off, moving closer to her. 'Why haven't you told me about them?" Ashleigh noticed his voice was thick with something she couldn't place, and she glanced up at him. 'Why should I?" She shot, trying not to let his proximity affect her. 'Didn't you say you knew everything already from the minute I left this house?" Adrian did not respond right away, feeling his chest burning at her words. He just stared at her, his jaw clenched. 'Well, if you're sure" he finally replied, his tone dismissive. 'I don't have a problem with it" Ashleigh raised a brow with a smile. 'Good. Because even if you had a problem, it won't matter anyway " She held his gaze for a moment, before turning to the phone which was now fully charging. Adrian's irritation was obvious as he walked out of the room, and she couldn't stop the smirk on her face. When the door clicked, she burst into quiet laughter. 'He keeps teasing me, yet can't take what he dishes" she remarked, her heart fluttering at the thought of his expression. The phone came on with a loud ring, bringing Ashleigh back to a somber mood and she rushed to grab it. On the screen, several missed calls from Arthur, Oliver, even Fiona and James flashed and a surge of guilt rushed through her. Despite everything, her friends still cared for her. They still reached out to her after she shut them out. Seeing Fiona and James's calls was like a final punch to her gut, as they were already upset at her for ghosting them previously still called after she bailed on their plans. She needed to fix this, one call at a time. But who does she call first? With a shaky breath, she pressed the dial button, her heart pounding as the phone rang. She prayed for them to at least hear her out. 'Hello?" Arthur's voice came through the speaker, sounding cautious and distant. 'Hey, it's Ashleigh. I'm so sorry."