The Love of Lies

Warning

Ashton’s POV

I heard that Cori tried to get out of going to the Wayly event by pretending to be sick, but her health is not what has my chest throbbing in fear.

The girl has no idea what she did this morning, and although my father hasn't mentioned anything to me, my heart is pounding, and I'm confused.

Cori had my credit card, and not just any card, but the one that's specifically reserved for entertaining clients. It's extremely important that we keep our business and personal expenses separate, so I seldom carry it with me.

In fact, the last time I used it was while I was out with my father, who forgot his own card at home, thus had to use mine. This means that the old man gave it to Cori.

The girl literally had my career in her hands and despite everything, she didn’t use it.

I know that it sounds like I’m being extreme, but I’ve already been accused by board members of inappropriately spending corporate funds because Vanessa had the bright idea of having me buy gift cards for potential clients.

I didn’t realize it then, but it appeared as though I bought them for my own use, and since then, I haven’t even charged a salad to the account without keeping the receipts, knowing that the people who want my father’s position to go to a senior member and not me, will use it to condemn me as a thief.

Somehow, I end up in my parents’ bedroom, giving my father the fright of his life when he exits the shower to me sitting on his bed like a movie villain.

“Why would you do something like that?” My voice comes out as a barely audible whisper, but the card in my hands must have given my father a clue as to what I was asking.

“Did she use it?”

“No,” I reply, having already had Troy check our online banking account all afternoon.

“Then think of it as a lesson learned. That girl had your life in her hands, and you have hers in yours; don’t ruin it.” I hear my father’s message loud and clear, so I shakily get up and make my way to where my brother is getting ready.

“What did he say?”

“Am I really being that much of an ass?”

“Honestly… yes.” I nod, inspecting my suit that looks completely different from what I remembered picking. “Mom had it tailored to match Cori’s dress.”

“What?!” That’s going too far, especially because I have no plans to stay near the woman.

“Take it up with her; just leave me out of it.” My brother is planning to finally ask Julia’s parents for her hand in marriage tonight, so I know that he’s nervous, especially because the girl's father isn’t very fond of him.

Like any good protector, he stopped liking Troy the moment he caught him banging his daughter, and honestly, I can’t blame him.

There’s dumb, and then there’s stupid, and having loud s*x in the girl’s parents’ home was absolutely idiotic. The only reason Julia's father puts up with my brother is because he hopes that his daughter is only going through a phase, and if by phase he means madly in love, then yes, that's all it is.

I don’t want to stress my brother out any further, so I say nothing, going back to my room where I get ready for a shower.

Cori’s POV

I already knew what I was wearing, but I had no idea how my makeup would be or how my hair would be styled, so I’m pleasantly surprised with how I look.

The black dress I’m wearing has a loose-fitting ruched bottom, and just below my bust, there’s a small corset style under bra that pushes up my cleavage, masks my still tiny baby bump, and accentuates my usually hidden curves.

My hair was left in its natural curl, but it was rolled and pinned in an elegant style that somehow managed to look effortless, although it took an hour for the woman who came to do my hair and makeup to perfect it.

I forgive her though; I usually wear my hair in a braid, so Mrs. Lewis didn’t know that I had curls, which left the woman asking me questions about my ‘heritage.’

I’m multi-ethnic. My mother was biracial with warm honey colored skin, hazel eyes, and light brown extremely tight curly hair, and from what I know, my father is of mixed European descent.

The combination has given me features that are hard to place, so I’m guessing that my natural curl pattern has piqued the woman’s curiosity, and not for the reason I expected.

She’s also of a mixed heritage, and now, she won’t stop bragging about me having a ‘global baby.’

“Global what?” Ashton asks, making me turn to look at the man who is trying to adjust his cufflinks.

He looks good in his crisp white shirt, but his mother forgets all about his question and poses one of her own.

“Why did you change your shirt color, and where is the bowtie I bought?”

“Not my style,” the man replies, still fidgeting with his cuff.

“But Cori is wearing a complimentary dress.” The man looks up and stares, making me look away.

“So?” he says, which feels like a slap in the face at this point.

“So? Ashton, what about this arrangement do you not understand?”

“Mrs. Lewis,” I interject, feeling deflated by her son. “Let's just go. Ashton and I aren’t a couple, and it's not fair to ask him to pretend to be.”

“But Cori… You don’t under-”

“It’s really okay. I just want to get this over with.” The woman takes a deep breath and extends an elbow to me.

“His loss,” Mrs. Lewis says as we walk past her son without care.

Ashton’s POV

When my eyes fell on Cori, I felt an intense wave of possessiveness and attraction. Black suits her well, and the silver accessories that she’s wearing have highlighted her natural tan.

Simply put, she looks amazing, but I can’t let her know that, otherwise I lose our standoff, again, so I brush off the fact that I’ve decided to change into something different, but now I have to go steal it back from Troy, who has been repeatedly changing his clothes as Julia struggles to settle on a ‘final’ dress.

“What the hell did mom pick for Cori to wear?” I ask, barging into my brother's room, which could have been bad if Julia was still around, but she went home because she wasn’t ‘happy’ with the dress she brought with her, likely comparing herself to Cori.

“I wasn’t paying much attention when they were shopping. Why?”

“You can’t even tell that she’s pregnant, and her…” I gesture to my chest area, and my brother scoffs, looking irritated by me.

“You know that what you just said is going to make me look, right?” I wince, forgetting that, although my brother is in a stable, very loving and committed relationship, he’s still a man with eyes.

“I’ll explain it to Jules.” I unintentionally called the woman by what I hear Cori call her, and my brother smirks at me.

“Looks like Cori is rubbing off on you.”

“I wish she’d rub ‘something’ on me,” I disappointedly mumble.

“She probably would be if you weren’t being an as*hole toward her.” That’s true, but sleeping with Cori again has only crossed my mind twice since I found out she was pregnant; the first time was at Pauline’s baby shower.

“I need my blazer and bowtie back.” My brother laughs a little too loudly, and I snatch the items off his bed, quickly leaving to change into what will look good next to the stunning woman, whose light eyes are so piercing that I was offended when she pulled them away from me.

Fortunately, I’m not driving with my brother, so when I’m ready, I’m able to get into one of our show cars and leave, hoping that Cori will be impressed when she and I leave together, as per our agreement.

Cori’s POV

Mr. Lewis gave me the rundown on what to expect since I’m showing up without a partner, but I’m used to dealing with jerks, and what he described just sounds like entitlement issues.

As long as no one touches me, I’m good, and I’ve explained to the man that I’m not above verbally or physically defending myself, which he found refreshing.

“Cori dear, just be careful. I know that you’re capable, but you are also carrying our little one.” I love how Mrs. Lewis always makes me feel like my baby is already a part of her family, but lately, I wish that Ashton also had that mindset.

I don’t want to be with him, so it’s not about having a ‘happy family,’ but studies have shown that having both parents positively active in a child's life can provide significant social, psychological, and health benefits.

I’m not saying that’s always the case, because there are always exceptions to every rule, including me, but if the man doesn’t even want to wear the same color as me for the sake of his family business, then I have no hope to meet him in the middle.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis leave to privately greet someone they know, so I’m left to wander the event by myself, and honestly, I’m having an okay time.

The decor is beautiful, everyone is dressed in gorgeous gowns, or fine tailored suits, and now I see why Mrs. Lewis was so adamant about getting a one-of-a-kind piece for me to wear, and not something that was off the rack.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you at this event,” calls out a male who extends his hand to me. “Johnathan Crosby.”

“Cori Russo.”

“The Rousso’s of France?” The man asks, raising a brow in curiosity.

“No sir, I’m here with the Lewis family.”

It’s not long before other men gather around me, likely wanting to know who I am as well, so I find myself repeating that I’m in attendance with the Lewis family more often than I would have liked.

Feeling like he has enough information to be a pig, Mr. Crosby asks if I’m single, and when I confirm, he makes me an offer I absolutely had no trouble refusing, but he pushes on, telling me that a ‘woman like me’ would be at a loss if I didn’t accept.

“Sir, I am a medical professional, not an escort, and judging by the clubbing of your fingers, you’re more likely to have a heart attack than you are to even go on a single date with me.” Several people laugh, making the man’s face go red with anger.

By this time, Julia has arrived, and she tries to pull me away, but I have no intention of being talked to the way that I was.

“Is this foul mouth woman really here with your family?” The man asks, pointing to me as his eyes focus on someone else.

“Ignore her Mr. Crosby.” I turn to face Ashton, who I can see has changed, and to be honest, he looks better in black. “Cori, apologize.”

“You do it for me,” I reply, walking away from the group. Mr. Lewis told me not to show weakness toward anyone, and I won’t, not even toward Ashton.

I’m not far when Ashton wraps his arm around my shoulders, and squeezes a little too tightly for my liking as he whispers a warning into my ear.

“That man is a potential client of mine; you will apologize to him right now.”

“First, don’t put your hands on me again or I will retaliate, and second, I will not apologize to a man who called me a prostitute.” Ashton’s face looks stricken, but it makes sense that he’d blindly side with money.