Chapter 8: Ashlyn Pedro

Ashlyn woke up to the beeping sound of her alarm indicating that she had slept for more than four hours. Stopping the alarm, she stretched her body as a yawn escaped her lips.

Getting out of bed, she took a quick shower and changed into a simple outfit— a blue baggy shirt with black short. Slipping into her fluffy blue slippers, she went to her kitchen only to be greeted with a sight of emptiness in her refrigerator.

"Ah! Shit, I feel lazy to cook." She muttered under her breath, closed the refrigerator, went to her room, took her phone and her credit card before leaving her house.

Walking down the road to the nearest restaurant in her vicinity, she was about to enter the restaurant when she was stopped by someone.

"Hey! Can I get a minute of your time?"

Ashlyn heard the voice and she turned her head. Putting on her observation skills, she studied the man closely.

"I'm Carlos. Will a beautiful woman like you honour me by telling me your name?" The man said with a smile on his face. He was wearing a green shirt with black stripes at the edge and a black jeans trouser with fitted sneakers. From his appearance, Ashlyn could tell that he's a decent man but from his words, she could also detect what he wanted.

Plastering a sweet smile on her face, "I'm sorry, but I'll prefer if you don't know my name." She said politely before entering the restaurant.

Left standing outside the restaurant, Carlos smirked, "I see... So she's the tough type uh?" Leaving his position, he entered the restaurant and walked to where Ashlyn had seated.

"Can I join you here?"

Ashlyn, seated comfortably, she ignored him and started pressing her phone while waiting for a waiter to attend to her. Being totally ignored, Carlos wasn't ready to give up. "I get you're busy right now and need your privacy... So can you give me number let's talk over the phone some other time?"

'Huh? My number? Is this guy really persistent or he's just trying to get on my nerves?' She complained in her head. She had thought being nice would be enough to stop him from pestering forward but since he wasn't ready to quit disturbing her, she needed to make him quit.

"Carlos or whatever your name is... If you don't stop pestering me then I'll have no choice but to report you to the police for harassment and infringement of privacy."

Ashlyn stated and that made Carlos shocked. Seeing his shocked expression she thought it was over but little did she know that Carlos wasn't a man to accept rejection.

"Do you even think you're pretty enough? Do you know who I am? I bet you're the type of woman who only answer guys if they dress up in fancy outfit to show their wealthy right? Well, let me burst your bubble, my father is a share holder in the P. G. C and we're super rich. So will you stop your act and answer me." Carlos raised his voice feeling frustrated.

Despite his manner, Ashlyn didn't flinch nor try to speak, she only maintained her calm expression and when she heard the ending of his words, she couldn't help but smile.

How well has this turned to her favour? Just now she was thinking of how to get rid of this pest, but now, finding out that his father is just a shareholder in her mother's company, she just couldn't be glad at how lucky she is.

"I'm sorry, I spoke rudely to you. Can we just have something to eat?" She said in a faked tone.

Feeling victorious, Carlos said, "I knew it... You only bend for rich guys.." His lips curved into a vicious smile, "Anyways, I'll accept your apology if you tell me your name and give me your number..."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter dressed in a white and black uniform standing at their side. "What would you like to have ma'am?"

"Spaghetti Bolognese and sushi." Ashlyn placed her order and the waiter turned to Carlos asking him for his order but he requested for only a cup of coffee.

"Just coffee?" Ashlyn asked after the waiter had left to go bring their orders.

"Yes." Giving a short reply, he went back to their previous topic. "What's your name?"

Hearing his question again, Ashlyn smiled in her head for what she was about to say and how he would react by her answer. Fixing her gaze on his face so she could capture his reaction, she dropped her words.

"Ashlyn Pedro."

Just like she had expected and pictured in her mind, Carlos had a confused expression on his face with his mouth slightly opened. "What did you just say your name is?" He stammered.

"You heard me well." She said and waited for realization to hit him.

"By any chance... Are you the daughter..."

Completing his words for him, Ashlyn said. "Daughter of Mrs Anna Pedro, the chairwoman of the company?" Scoffing, "Yes that's definitely me." Adding a tone of threat to her voice, "I and my mum own ninety percent share of the company so whoever your father is.... losing his share won't mean anything."

Hearing Ashlyn words, Carlos knew he was in big trouble at the moment. If she was really serious about this then he might probably get disowned by his father. He remembered how his father said getting a share in the P. G. C was the greatest achievement he's made in business and now here he was ruining it without knowing.

Bringing down his ego, he put on an apologetic face. "I'm sorry, please I didn't mean to say those things I said... I honestly don't know what came over me please, don't cut off my father's share. If he finds out what happened, he would punish me." Carlos pleaded sincerely.

"Don't you think you need to get punished? You said those words without knowing who I was... I would have forgiven you if you hadn't said those words...."

"Please, I beg you. You can punish me without my father knowing. He just bought the share recently and if he loses it because of me, I won't escape his wrath." He cut in.

"Recently?" Creasing her brows, she started thinking about the recent shareholders in her company and remembering the most recent, she smiled. "I see! Carlos Yanns..." She said his name while stressing his last name.

Nodding his head, "Yes... Please you can punish me anyhow but please don't tell my father."

Seeing the fear in him, Ashlyn couldn't help but wonder why he's so scared of his father despite being a grown up man who's at the age of having his own family. Deciding not to stress herself on the issue, she pushed it to the back of her mind.

"I don't want you around me ever again."