10 Did you like the girl

Ashley kept observing Tristen the entire dinner and was quite surprised that he never once brought up the past topic. He had been very considerate around her, making sure she was comfortable.

Ashley had never thought the man she thought was scary and dominating was a reasonable observer who kept attention on every little detail.

'She judged him wrong,' she thought as her eyes kept looking at Tristen's small gesture making him look like a true gentleman.

For that time, she forgot she had been through heartbreak with Tristen; she didn't remember anything as if there was no one except them at that moment.

"To be honest, I didn't know that you were going to be my date," Ashley took a sip of wine from the glass and said.

Now that she was finally on a date, she thought, why not enjoy it and not let the past interaction spoil the mood?

"Same here.. even my parents didn't let me see whom I was meeting. I guess they wanted it to be a surprise.." Tristen joked, which made both of them chuckle.

But honesty, even he too had no clue that it was going to Ashley, whom his mother had selected for him, and now he wanted to go and kiss his mother for getting the best girl for him.

Ashley nodded her head and again went silent. She didn't remember if she had talked so much before. The evening felt calm and peaceful for her, with no fear of being watched or perfect around.

She didn't want to think of a past that wasn't that pleasant. It was all her in that relationship based on lies and nothing.

Looking back at the man in front of her, she finally took the time to observe him. This was the second time she checked him out, but her eyes couldn't get enough.

She recalled their first meeting, which wasn't that pleasant and cheery when she provoked him and tried to pay him for the one-night stand they spent together.

She had thought him to be a male escort who was present there for sex. How stupid of her to think of a man who was the most influential personality of country S to be a male prostitute.

Now she felt bad to think of him that way. Maybe her emotions were too high, and his sudden words did her act out of her character.

Soon the dinner ended, and it was time to part. Tristen, who had his eyes on Ashley, didn't want to let her go. He wanted to spend more time with her, but he also knew he couldn't ask her to stop.

He had seen her so lively and free-spirited for the first time as they talked the whole night. She wasn't the one from the night who cried in his arms.

She was different, and he liked that difference in her.

Tristen waited for Ashley's car to arrive before heading out of the restaurant.

"It was nice meeting you," Ashley said with a genuine smile.

She had never felt so relaxed and carefree in these five years. Whenever she was out for dinner or a party, everyone she met, whether a man or woman, had always looked at her as an arrogant lady.

But him, she felt it different. Even after mocking him and using hurtful words, Tristen didn't take revenge on her. All he did was be good to her.

"Me too.." he replied and saw her car stop in front of them.

Tristen hesitated for a while when he reached out his hand and pulled Ashley, kissing her cheeks.

"I hope you will consider this date to be a memorial," he whispered next to her ear, which made Ashley blush damn hard.

Nodding her head, she looked down and turned to get in her car.

Hopping in, she watched her car move while her eyes kept staring at the man who just made her feel giddy.

'Why do I feel strange today? It was just a kiss and that too on my cheeks,' she said, placing her hand on her cheek.

Blushing, she shook her head and leaned back, reminiscing her time with Tristen.

The rumor's about him didn't match the ones she had seen with her own eyes. Why do the media like to highlight things which weren't even true?

****

After dinner, Tristen drove back to the mansion. Stopping at the main entrance, Tristen closed his eyes and muttered under his breath," Be ready to get spammed," saying he opened the door and saw his entire family waiting for him in the living area.

"Tristen honey... how did the date go? Did you like the girl? How is she? Did she match your liking? " Grace bombarded Tristen with questions and pulled in to sit on the couch.

Grace had this worried expression on her face, and she could hold herself back when she saw Tristen entering the house.

"Mom, he has just returned. Why don't you let him get fresh before interrogating him," Gavin said with a bored expression that made Grace glare at him.

Pursing his lips, he sat there quietly and pulled his attention back to his cell phone.

Snow, who too waited for Tristen to speak, asked," Tristen, you didn't answer your mother. Didn't you like the girl?"

"Why do I feel brother didn't like the girl" Gwen, who was quiet all this while, spoke.

Grace felt much more worried when she averted her eyes from Gwen and saw Tristen's face, which didn't show any sign of happiness.

"Everyone, can you all please give him a break," Trevor said, making everyone's assumption stop and letting Tristen breathe for a while.

Tristen looked at the eager-looking eyes and opened his mouth to speak," The date wasn't wrong, at least not for me, but I don't know about the girl" he created suspense, narrowing his eyes as he rubbed his chin.

Everyone went silent, listening to his words when Tristen took the opportunity to get away from there. He knew one more second he stayed there. They wouldn't let him go until they listened to every damn thing during dinner.

Tristen was about to close the door heading towards his room when Grace stopped him.

"Can I get in" Tristen was surprised to see his mother follow him, nod his head, and step back to let Grace get in.

Grace was getting restless to ask Tristen what exactly happened during the dinner when Tristen's words shocked her," How did you find that I like Ashley mom."

Tristen wasn't naïve to not see what his mother was trying to do, but he couldn't understand for how long she was aware of his unrequited love for Ashley.

Grace felt like a giant stone get lifted from her shoulder, and she heaved out a sigh," You know how hard it is to act as if you don't know anything" she chuckled and sat on the bed, patting the space next to her asking Tristen to join her.

"You aren't a good actor, mom," Tristen guessed, being exposed to his mother when he saw the girl she selected for him was Ashley.

His mother was his friend who had guided him to the right path, and hiding such a big secret from her was already making him feel like a burden.

"I know.." Grace always had more share of her love towards Tristen because he wasn't someone who liked to share his emotions with anyone.

He liked keeping it in his heart and wasn't that active like her other two kids.

He had been that proud son of hers who stood by his family no matter what, and that's what made him the person he was today.

Everyone feared him for his exceptional working ethic, but no one knew how soft-hearted person he was.

Grace had seen him hiding Ashley's photo in his drawer, and just like a curious mother, she was so eager to know who the girl was that she caught her son's attention.

Unfortunately, when she came to find out about the girl Ashley was already in love with someone else. And just like Tristen, it even broke her heart.

"Mom, you know you didn't have to do that. I had already decided to court her," Tristen smirked, making Grace gasp.

"I didn't know my innocent son would change so much" Grace faked an act in front of him, making both of them laugh.

Tristen didn't want to force Ashley; he wanted her to fall for him gradually and not get a tag with him because of their parents.

"Ashley is just like her mother, beautiful and pure," Grace muttered, making Tristen raise his brow.

"How do you know her mother," he asked, making her smile.

"She happens to be the daughter of my childhood friend Raven. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to meet until the news of the demise reached me" Grace and Raven were childhood friends who grew up together, but due to their different education courses, Grace had to move to another city.

If she had the slightest idea that Ashley was Raven's and Richards's child, she would have proposed for the marriage before and not let her son feel depressed watching his love roam with some other guy.

But luckily, she happened to meet Richard at one of the business parties, and that's when she learned that Raven was no more.

Richard was a wise man who loved his wife and child very much, but she also knew how worried he was for Ashley's future.

He didn't like the guy whom Ashley was dating and wanted to get somehow them separated when they came up with the idea to set their children together.

But before exposing the man, someone had already sent Ashley to the place where Greg was present with Jane, and every problem for them was solved just like that.