Chapter 80

The room was drenched in darkness, save for the flicker of a single bare bulb overhead. The silence was broken by the shuffling of chains and the faint drip of water pooling somewhere unseen. Tristan and Jake knelt behind the iron bars, their once-proud postures now bent with shame and fear. Adrian sat in the corner, cloaked in shadow. His piercing gaze cut through the dim light, fixed on the two men who had failed him. His fingers drummed against the armrest of his chair, the rhythmic tapping the only sound besides their labored breaths. 'Boss, please," Tristan started, his voice hoarse. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, evidence of the earlier punishment. 'We didn't expect the attack to happen then. We—" 'You didn't expect," Adrian interrupted softly, his voice calm but laced with menace. 'That's the problem, isn't it?" Jake flinched, his trembling hands gripping the bars. 'We're sorry, sir. We'll make it right. Just give us another chance." Adrian rose slowly, his imposing figure cutting an intimidating silhouette. He stepped closer to the bars, his polished shoes clicking against the damp floor. Tristan and Jake instinctively leaned back as he came to a stop just inches away. 'You failed," Adrian said, his voice barely above a whisper. 'And that's not something I forgive easily." Tristan's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. 'Boss, we'll do anything!—anything—to make it right." Adrian tilted his head, studying them for a long, agonizing moment. Then, without a word, he turned to Mr. Turner, who stood silently in the shadows. 'Prepare them," Adrian said simply, his tone leaving no room for argument. Turner nodded, signalling the guards to pull Tristan and Jake to their feet. The two men exchanged uneasy glances, unsure whether they had been granted mercy or sentenced to something worse. 'Don't make me regret this," Adrian added, his voice low and dangerous. As they were dragged out of the room, Adrian's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, his expression unreadable as he read the message from Mr. Atkinson: 'Mrs. Ashleigh has left the mansion with Susan." Adrian's lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes remained cold. Sliding the phone back into his pocket, he walked towards the door, his steps deliberate and measured. ****************** The sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the car as they pulled up to the café. Ashleigh smoothed her skirt nervously, her fingers brushing the hem as she scanned the familiar space. As Ashleigh the car came to a stop, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and pastries enveloped her, but it did little to calm her jittery nerves. 'Madame, you look perfect," Susan said softly, glancing at her through the car's rearview mirror. 'I don't know, Susan. Arthur's always been so critical," Ashleigh replied, fishing a compact mirror from her purse. She adjusted a stray strand of hair, her pulse quickening at the thought of seeing him again. 'Didn't you say earlier that in college, brains mattered more than looks?" Susan teased gently. Ashleigh shot her assistant a mock glare. 'Don't start, Susan. And don't forget—stay at a distance and leave after me. I don't want him to know I came with someone." 'Yes, Madame," Susan replied with a small smile. As they stepped into the café, Ashleigh's nerves momentarily stopped when she spotted Arthur waving at her from a corner table. His familiar face brought a wave of nostalgia that almost brought tears to her eyes. 'Arthur!" she called, rushing over to him. He stood to greet her, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp as they appraised her. 'Ashleigh, it's been a while," he said simply, his tone measured. ******************* Meanwhile, Fiona and James walked into the cafe, their expressions puzzled as they discussed the message they had both received from their former colleagues. 'What do you think this is about?" Fiona asked, clutching her phone tightly. James frowned. 'I don't know, but we'll find out now we're here." As they turned the corner, Fiona stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as she spotted Ashleigh through the café window. 'Is that Ashleigh?" James followed her gaze, and he let out a gasp. 'Yes, and who is she with?" They exchanged a look before heading toward the café, their curiosity outweighing their hesitation. ******************* Ashleigh sat across from him, smoothing her skirt nervously. 'I'm so glad you agreed to meet me. I've missed talking to you." Arthur raised an eyebrow. 'Have you? You've been pretty silent these past days. You yelled at me then ghosted me." Ashleigh hesitated, the weight of guilt settling heavily on her chest. 'Arthur, I know I've been awful to you," she began, her voice trembling. 'I shut you out when you were the only one who stood by me. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I'm so, so sorry." Arthur's features softened slightly, though a flicker of hurt remained in his gaze. 'You were going through a lot," he said, sliding a tissue box toward her as tears welled in her eyes. 'But it still hurt, Ashleigh. The way you spoke to me that day. After then you just disappeared without any word." Ashleigh nodded, clutching the tissues in her hands. 'I know. And I want to make things right. I am sorry for all the things I said, Arthur. I also need your help now." He leaned back in his chair, studying her. 'What's going on?" Before Ashleigh could answer, a familiar voice interrupted. 'Ashleigh?" She turned sharply to see Fiona and James, her colleagues from work, standing near the entrance. Fiona's wide-eyed expression quickly turned to curiosity, while James raised an eyebrow. 'Fiona, James! You're here." Ashleigh stammered, her mind racing. This wasn't supposed to happen. Arthur frowned slightly, his gaze flicking between Ashleigh and the newcomers. 'Friends of yours?" 'Yes," Ashleigh said quickly, standing to greet them. 'These are my colleagues from work." Fiona stepped forward, her smile polite but her eyes scrutinizing Arthur. 'And this is…?" 'Arthur," Ashleigh said, her voice tightening. 'A college friend." Arthur extended a hand, his expression guarded. 'Nice to meet you." James shook his hand but didn't hide his curiosity. 'So, what brings you here, Ashleigh? The last time we spoke, you were still in college." 'After that, you stopped speaking to us, even though you asked us to meet up" Fiona added, crossing her arms furiously and Arthur eyed Ashleigh. 'Well, that isn't new with Ashleigh. Till now I didn't know she worked." Arthur pointed out, staring at Ashleigh. 'How could you? We are a part of her unglamorous past. We don't matter now that she's in college" James narrowed his eyes at Ashleigh, and she felt like entering the ground. 'Is that so, Ashleigh? I'd really like to know the kind of person you really are" Arthur stated, enunciating the last words. Ashleigh opened her mouth to reply, but the weight of their stares made her falter. She felt trapped, as though the walls of the café were closing in. Before she could speak, her phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, she saw a text with Adrian's name flashing. 'How's your meeting going?"