CHAPTER 178: DARE TO LOVE ME A Promise Part 2 

• Ashley 

“Hello,” I said timidly, not having thought about what I should say to him. 

“Don’t you have a collection to present?” he asked and took a seat, looking at the documents 

on his desk. 

“Yes, but there is something urgent that I must resolve, and it cannot wait. I need the man I love by my side when I present it.” I took a few steps toward him. 

He nodded. 

“You should have stayed in Monaco then.” He settled into the back of the chair. 

“I already have everything I needed from Monaco, and there is nothing else there for me. My heart is in the UK and right now here in this office,” I expressed, and he played with the pen in 

his hand, his serious expression unchanged. 

“And I don’t want to lose it because my decisions and actions were misinterpreted. I never intended to hide it from you–I just wanted to take care of saving myself, not depending on a man for it. I didn’t want to owe this to anyone but myself,” I said sincerely. “As for Lyon and the few times I had him close, keeping my distance, they meant nothing. No one could make me feel what you make me feel when you touch me, how my body shudders with your caresses, how my skin is warmed by your gaze, how every part of me ignites with your kisses. My lips 

belong only to you.” 

Will and I looked into each other’s eyes, and he remained silent. I knew he was stubborn and that it wouldn’t be easy, but I wanted to try. The idea that I wouldn’t go back to the UK with him was getting stronger in my mind; however, I wasn’t leaving without saying everything that was on my mind, even though the pain was stabbing my chest because of the coldness in his 

gaze. 

“Also, I’ve come to make a promise,” I whispered, and he raised his eyebrows. 

“I promise that I will never hide anything from you again or do anything without you knowing- well, there will be some exceptions if someone’s life depends on it,” I said with a hand up. With what happened in our families, it was possible that someone would be in danger. I noticed 

that he lowered his head. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that everything happened this way and that my feelings for you have been questioned by my follies. I… I love you, William,” I said with my heart on my sleeve and took a 

step toward him. “Don’t ever doubt it, please.” 

1/4 

+3 Point 

CHAPTER 178: DARE TO LOVE M… 

“Sir, I’m sorry to interrupt, but they are waiting for you in the meeting,” his secretary said after a 

few soft knocks on the door. 

“Will?” I said at his silence, and the idea in my head that coming here had been useless, that I 

had lost him, became clearer. 

“I have a meeting to attend,” he said and stood up to leave the office, walked past me, and left. 

I looked down with an immense desire to cry, but I swallowed the lump in my throat, lifted my 

head, and turned around. When I left the office, William had disappeared. 

Will 

I stepped out of the meeting for a second to take a call from the technical building, something 

last minute. 

I dialed my secretary’s number when I finished talking to one of the engineers and asked her 

not to put any more calls through–we didn’t want any interruptions until the partners‘ meeting 

was over. 

I was about to hang up when I heard someone wanting to talk to me, and the voice was 

identical to hers, but it didn’t occur to me that she was here in Los Angeles until I froze when I 

heard her name. Seconds later, she appeared at the door before I could react. 

My anger was still intact. The fact that she had hidden her actions and decided to do 

everything on her own only managed to infuriate me, and her actions with Lyon, allowing him 

to get close to her inappropriately, still caused me great annoyance. 

I watched her standing there, absolutely gorgeous, and showing off the curves she knew drove 

me crazy. Damn, she was playing dirty. 

She started talking to me about what had happened the day before–her intention not to 

deceive me, that she wanted to save herself without expecting a man to do it. She didn’t want 

to leave in the hands of someone else something that only belonged to her, and she never 

kissed Lyon, and their closeness meant nothing. She reminded me how I made her feel; I felt a 

tingle in my chest knowing it. Finally, her promise not to hide anything from me again–well, 

only if someone’s life depended on it. I almost laughed; it made me think about how much I 

loved her antics. And finally, telling me that she loved me while looking into my eyes. s**t! No, 

I needed a little more time for my anger to subside and for her to understand that she couldn’t 

act the way she had. 

My secretary informed me that I must return to the meeting, which I’d forgotten the moment I 

saw her enter my office. 

2/4 

+3 Point 

CHAPTER 178: DARE TO LOVE M… 

I stood up under Ash’s watchful eye. I could see her disappointment as I walked past her. I admitted it hurt to see her like that, but this meeting was the reason for an almost twenty–hour trip yesterday. 

I entered the boardroom, and Nick continued where we’d left off when I’d left, but my attention 

was on the brunette who had taken a sixteen–hour flight which was valuable to her, as she was 

practically hours away from the fashion show, all to come and give me an explanation. I shook my head and exhaled. When the time came, I was exposed to the room that corresponded to me, and an hour later Nick ended the meeting. The partners left, and I was left alone with my 

cousin. 

“What’s going on?” he asked. 

“Ashley was here, not long ago,” I commented after exhaling. 

“She came from Monaco?” he asked, approaching ‘where I was and leaning on the table. 

“Yes, she wanted to explain what happened.” 

“Wow, she took the time she doesn’t have to come to see you.” 

I sat down. 

“So what’s going on in that head of yours?” He crossed his arms. 

“I’ve mustered all my strength not to kiss her when she told me she loves me,” I said sincerely, 

and Nick laughed. “But it’s complicated. I feel like she saw my i***t face again,” I finished. 

“Is that so? I’m not going to deny that I would be furious if Alaia did something like this, but I 

talked to her this morning. She explained what happened, and I think I would have given her 

the benefit of the doubt, that I would be sure that she would respect our relationship, and that 

if I decided to love her as she is, I would understand her craziness. Of course, that wouldn’t 

save her from being punished,” he commented with a dark laugh on his lips. 

“I know Ash didn’t do well by deceiving you about being Asher, but are you sure that what she’s 

done is more powerful than the love you feel for her? That you’re willing to let her go after 

everything you went through to be together, that this misunderstanding is worth your 

relationship?” 

I pondered his words and exhaled, rubbing my face. My phone screen lit up, showing a picture 

of Ash and me smiling on one of our walks in the UK. 

“My flight back leaves in a couple of hours in case you want to come with me to the UK. I’m 

sure Ashley wants you by her side at this important time for her.” Nick patted my shoulder and 

walked out of the boardroom, leaving me alone.