AFTER ONE NIGHT

CHAPTER 3

• MARRY ME •

The meeting felt like it would never end. Ashley silently hoped it would wrap up soon. She had let her hair down, hiding most of her face, and so far, it worked; he hadn't recognized her.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, the meeting concluded with applause for Mr. CEO's speech. Ashley quietly gathered her things and slipped out before the crowd pushed towards the exit. She let out a sigh of relief once she was alone in the elevator heading to the second floor where her office was. She had avoided what could have been a major embarrassment if that man had noticed her.

When she reached her desk, Katy walked in, singing praises for Mr. CEO and repeating her plans to win him over.

"Goodness, Ashley! You...you weren't even listening. You okay?" she whispered, leaning in closer, noticing that Ashley was physically there but mentally far away.

"Hmm! I'm a mess, Kate. I really am," Ashley whispered back, finally sharing the details of her ordeal from the night before.

"No. You're joking, right?!"

"Does it look like I am?" Ashley snapped.

Katy's eyes lit up with excitement. "Then you should be happy, girl. You slept with the fine boss! Just like that?! I would trade anything to be in your shoes."

"No...no Kate, don't say that. He would definitely make me pay," she panicked. "He might fire me, and you know I can't be without a job now. What if he has a video and decides to leak it? I'm so stupid." She thought about how different things could have been if she had walked away like she always did. She wanted nothing to do with men anymore, but it all happened so quickly and ended poorly. Now, it felt like it had blown up in her face.

"Why did I get drunk?" she cried. "I'm such an i***t!"

"No, you're not, dear. He didn't notice you in the end and probably won’t."

She wanted to believe that so much, but deep down, she knew he would notice her eventually, and when he did, she'd be in big trouble. Her next move should be to look for a new job as a fallback, just in case he decided to fire her. Finding a decent job in the city was a different story altogether. Meanwhile, she planned to keep her distance from him, but could she really avoid him given her position as secretary?

"Ashley Bricks," the manager's voice suddenly rang out. "Mr. Sanchez wants you in his office. Now!"

Her worst nightmare had come true!

Ashley knocked twice on the glass door with shaky hands. She took deep breaths to calm her nerves, then entered when he signaled her.

It was hard to believe that the man in the bathrobe, who had been with her all night, was her boss. What an unwelcome surprise. Now, she had to face him, defend her sanity, plead for mercy, or possibly get fired. She glanced at Elliot, who was focused on the documents on his desk, not bothering to look up.

Minutes dragged by in silence, broken only by the sound of papers flipping. Was he doing this to humiliate her?

Ashley wanted to say something, already annoyed. She could remind him that she had been waiting longer than usual and had other responsibilities, but instead, she held her tongue. "Two more minutes," she told herself, which felt reasonable given the circumstances.

After those two minutes, still no response. Not even a hint that he knew she was there.

She cleared her throat, already frustrated. "Mr. Sanchez, you called for me?"

He raised a finger to signal her to wait, then finally looked up.

Ashley forced a cheerful smile, hoping he might see her differently, but her hopes were crushed. He looked at her with disdain from top to bottom, just like before. That same cold stare made her feel like trash. She hated it. She hated him. But she worked hard not to shake as he continued to look at her like she was nothing.

He leaned back in his chair, a sly smile creeping onto his face as he sized her up.

"I suppose there's no need for an introduction. But for clarity," he said, throwing the two-dollar bills from the last encounter at her.

What? How dare he? Ashley felt slapped, filled with anger, but she didn’t react.

"Look how small the world is… Isn’t it amusing?" He smirked, rolling a piece of paper into a ball and tossing it at her.

"I have every reason to fire you, Miss Bricks. But..."

Ashley’s stomach knotted. She knew it would come to this, but she couldn’t afford to lose her job, especially with her mother’s health issues. Years ago, her dad had left with her nanny when Ashley was twelve, after getting her pregnant. Since then, life had been tough. The doctors claimed it was just high blood pressure, but Ashley understood it was more than that. The atmosphere at home grew heavier daily. Slowly, her mom stopped eating, sleeping—everything that made her feel alive. Every night, she sat by the window, staring at the road, waiting for him to come back, but he never did. Then one morning, her mother didn’t get up and ended up hospitalized until she recovered. Since then, Ashley had vowed to take care of her mom. It had been just the two of them against the world since her dad left them in a painful situation. How could she pay the bills without a job?

"I would spare you...a chance to prove yourself," Mr. Elliott’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. Maybe Katy was right; there was no need to worry.

"But that’s on one condition," he turned in his chair, stood, and walked to the window.

Condition? What was he getting at?

"What condition, sir?" she stammered.

"You’d be my wife."

"Wife?" It had to be a joke; she laughed. "Excuse me, sir!" Who would have thought Mr. Uptight had a sense of humor?

"You heard me right, Miss Bricks." He turned to face her. "You act as my wife for a year, take my last name, accompany me to social events, and in return, all your financial needs will be met. After 12 months, you'll receive a substantial payment, and our arrangement will end. No one has to know about this."

What?

"And why would I agree to this?" Ashley asked, shocked by his seriousness.

"It’s a condition, remember? I could fire you right now, but I’m willing to overlook your previous behavior and my dislike for unprofessional conduct in my office. You do as I say, or you can face the consequences. Many women would jump at this chance, but I chose you." He smiled slightly. "Besides, you have nothing to lose; in fact, it’s the opposite."

Although his words were harsh and angered her, she had to admit he was somewhat right. Ashley decided to look at the bigger picture, considering both his offer and her situation.

Marrying a self-centered CEO after a regrettable one-night stand for a large sum of money? Agreeing to his terms wasn’t entirely sensible, but she couldn’t risk being jobless. With that money, her mom would be taken care of, potentially recovering, and she would show the world that she wasn't the problem; her reckless ex was.

Could she really accept his offer?

She hated being trapped in this dilemma, especially with him.

Her thoughts interrupted, he asked, "Will you sign the contract?"