Page 68 of Power and Possession

I opened it carefully, and there sat the pink diamond ring Steele had given me during our fake engagement. A note was tucked inside, and my stomach lurched as my eyes flew over his masculine handwriting.

This isn’t a proposal. If I proposed to you, I’d do it naked. That way you’d say yes. But I wanted you to have this ring. I know you loved it, even though you tried to hide it. And perhaps, just perhaps, it’ll keep men away from you until you’re ready to move on. I know I’ll sleep easier knowing I’m still there with you in some way.

All my love,

Daniel

I removed the ring from the box and slipped it on, the weight on my hand feeling comfortable, like an old friend.

I sat on the bed, truly alone for the first time in forever. The house was quiet, and I wasn’t used to it. The silence stretched on, like an untraveled dirt road winding up themountains. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the ring. I’d put it on my right hand, rather than wearing it like an engagement ring. I did love it, and I was glad that I would have a part of Steele with me. When I was old and gray, I’d remember the passionate nights I spent in my youth with a man who was just not right for me.

The silence finally got to me, so I turned on some music and then pulled out my laptop. I’d need to find a job, and soon, because I was determined not to use Steele’s money for anything. Luckily Steele had procured me a work permit with the other identification, so I was officially able to work in the United Kingdom. I searched through a few job sites, and then worked on getting my resume up to date. I’d have to find a way to explain my gap of employment when interviewing, but Steele had given me the perfect excuse about my father being ill. The Harringtons believed that to be the case as well, so if an employer contacted them for references, it would all add up. As much as I loved the Harrington kiddos, I couldn’t go back, even if they’d take me again. They were a part of Steele’s world.

I’d go back to being just Ashlynn. Amateur photographer with an education in Humanities. Good lord, what was I going to do with my life?

I applied for a few barista jobs, and then closed the lid to my laptop.

Freedom had sounded a lot better in my head.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Steele

Cooper had to drag me out of the bar. Once I’d run out of alcohol in my own home, I had walked to the pub. Unbeknownst to Ashlynn, I’d followed her to England, just to make sure she didn’t need anything while she settled back in. I had my men watching her a half-mile out, so she was oblivious to my interference. But if Topher came within a half mile of his daughter, or anyone else did, I’d know about it.

Luckily, Cooper drove me home. The walk from my townhome wasn’t a long one, but I could barely keep one foot in front of the other.

“Steele, you’re a goddamn mess. I’m tired of following you back and forth from Paris to London. I have better things to do than to waste my time in your jet. You’ve become such a whiny bitch.” Cooper swore at me repeatedly as he tried to push me into the passenger seat of his car. We both had drivers for business meetings, but in my personal time I liked to drive myself around, and so did Cooper.

“I’m not a mess. Or a whiny bitch.” But even I could hear how much I was slurring my words. I could barely sit up in the car, and when Cooper accelerated, I thought I was going to be sick.

“You are, Steele. Why didn’t you just keep her? She would have stayed with you. You could have convinced her to love you back if you’d kept her.”

I really didn’t want to talk about Ashlynn. The secondshe’d pulled out of my driveway in her little car, my insides felt like they were being pulled out of my stomach with a hot iron rod. The farther she drove away, the worse it got. It took me all of five minutes to jump in my car and follow after her.

I was a bit annoyed that she didn’t notice me watching her as she directed my men where to put items and unpacked her belongings. I’d parked just outside the gate, and stayed and watched her for over an hour, yet she was unaware.

I wanted to call her and yell at her, scold her for not being aware of her surroundings, but she wasn’t mine anymore.

Ashlynn wasn’t mine in any capacity.

The reality of it had hit me so hard that I’d driven straight to London and consumed all the alcohol I had in the townhouse, and then several more drinks at the bar before the bartender had called Cooper to come from Paris and get me. That was one good thing about drinking at a bar you owned, I supposed.

When I woke up the next morning, I was so hungover that I could hardly move.

“Quincy?” I called out weakly.

“You left him in France, dumbass.”

I opened one eye a tiny crack and could see Cooper sitting opposite the bed.

“What in the hell happened last night?” I tried to sit up but then instantly regretted it.

“You mean before or after you drank London’s entire supply of alcohol?”

I groaned. Even I could smell the liquor on me.

“You tried to drunk dial Ashlynn.”

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