CHAPTER 179: DARE TO LOVE ME If You Are Not By My Side Part 1 

Ashley 

I arrived home, changed into comfortable clothes, and ordered a car to the airport. I said 

goodbye to Sylvia and left the house with a broken heart. The idea of having lost him hit me 

hard and only made me feel even more crushed. Why on earth did I think doing what I did was 

a good idea?! 

I arrived at the airport and waited for my flight, which had been delayed. “Great timing!” I got a call from Tino and answered to see them on the screen. 

“Did you get him back?” he said enthusiastically, his excitement fading when he saw my face. “Nooo, my love,” he said sadly. 

“No, I didn’t. He just listened to me and, without another word, went back to his meeting,” I 

said, inhaling to keep from crying. 

“Ash, I talked to Nick and explained what happened. I thought it would help,” Alaia said. “I’m so sorry, honey.” 

“It’s okay, everything will be fine,” I said, more to myself, and sighed. “I’ll be there in a few hours. I love you guys.” 

“We love you too. Everything’s going perfectly here, right?” Tony commented. 

“I know, I trust you guys.” I gave them a sad smile. 

I sighed, looking at our photo on my phone. In it, we were happy, on one of our outings. I turned off the screen and put it back in my purse. 

Almost an hour later, I heard the boarding call and walked toward the gate, holding back my emotions. I handed my ticket to the attendant. 

“Ashley!” The shout made me look back. 

I turned around completely to see Nick walking toward me. 

“Nick!” I exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?” I asked after walking over to him and giving him a quick kiss on each cheek. 

“I’m going back to the UK. The plane leaves in a few minutes. I thought you’d already be on a flight.” 

“I should be, but what can I say? Luck hasn’t been on my side today–my flight was delayed.” 

“Miss, you need to board,” the airline attendant told me. 

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CHAPTER 179 DARE TO LOVE M 

“Your luck has changed then, thanks to this delay. Now I get to see you before you leave. 

Come on, you’ll travel more comfortably with me on the company plane,” he offered. I wasn’t 

stupid, so I accepted immediately. Nick took my small suitcase and I walked beside him, biting my lip, trying not to ask if he was there too. 

Nick stopped to talk to a pilot and looked at me before heading out to where their plane was. 

“He…” I started to say, and Nick immediately guessed what I was asking. 

“He decided not to come with me,” he explained, and I nodded, swallowing the lump in my 

throat. 

We continued walking toward the plane, and I climbed the stairs when Nick indicated. 

I took a seat and sighed, looking toward the airport exit, hoping that he would appear, but he 

didn’t. 

I rested my hands on the table in front of me and covered my face, trying not to cry. 

“What you did helped a little, but you won’t escape punishment.” I opened my eyes at the 

sound of his voice and watched in slow motion as he entered the plane. Without thinking, I 

threw myself at him and kissed him. I felt the momentum make us fall onto one of the 

comfortable seats. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, honey,” I said, my emotions overflowing. 

“I’m sure you’ll be even sorrier later,” he said with a mischievous smile, and I kissed him again. 

Nothing else mattered now; he was here with me. 

“William?” Nick looked surprised. 

“I decided to love her, craziness and all,” he said, looking at me. He brushed a strand of hair 

from my face, and I melted. 

Nick shook his head and clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Good afternoon,” a deep voice greeted from behind Nick. Nick turned to him curiously, and I 

searched for the owner of the voice. 

“Come in, Ivan,” Will said, and Nick and I were completely lost. “Ashley, this is the person who 

will be in charge of your safety and will be monitoring your movements from now on.” He 

kissed my forehead and buried his face in my neck. I swore I could see a hint of laughter on 

his face. 

I was speechless and didn’t know what to say for a few seconds. 

“But… we already have enough people on our security team,” I said, looking at the giant with 

DIA 

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CHAPTER 179: DARE TO LOVE M… 

his serious face. 

“Your men follow your orders; he’ll follow mine.” Will pointed to him, clearly amused by my 

bewilderment. “Come in, Ivan, make yourself comfortable–it’s a long trip,” he invited him, and 

Ivan nodded, finding a place to sit. 

Come on, this couldn’t last long. There was no reason for him to keep acting the way he did in 

Monaco. 

“Now everything’s in order.” Will smiled at me and kissed my nose. 

I looked at the man, thinking about how I was going to get rid of him. I wasn’t a child! 

“I love you.” Will distracted me and gave me one of his precious smiles, making me forget everything else. 

“I love you too,” I replied, kissing him. We looked into each other’s eyes when the kiss ended, 

as always; it was our love language. I snuggled into his chest and closed my eyes as I felt him 

stroke my hair. 

We arrived in the UK after a trip full of affection and a few conversations with Nick. I knew 

Alaia had come to pick him up, but she didn’t know I was here yet. 

He was the first one to get off the plane. I looked at Will, who stood up with me in his arms. I 

tried to get down, but he wouldn’t let me. 

“I’m not letting go of you. You might get another one of your ingenious ideas,” he said, and I 

pressed my lips together to keep from laughing, which wouldn’t be appropriate. 

My partners in crime’s shouts reached us when Will and I appeared at the plane door, and my 

smile couldn’t have been wider. 

“Oh my God, they’re all back!” Tino exclaimed. 

Will let my feet touch the ground. I greeted them, and he stepped aside with Nick, who was talking to the bodyguards and had taken my little ones. 

“Ahhhh,” we all shouted now, jumping up and down. 

“We were already thinking about a kidnapping,” Alaia laughed, taking my shoulders. 

“Well, it won’t be necessary,” I said, delighted, looking at him. 

“But who’s that giant with the face of a dangerous Russian mercenary? He looks like the bad guys from the movies we like so much, remember, the ones with Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren? My God, it looks like he could kill you with just a look.” An impressed Tino looked behind me, and Alaia seemed to feel the same way. 

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“I have a babysitter.” I rolled my eyes. 

“No!” Tino and Alaia burst out laughing, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little too, despite my 

annoyance. 

“I don’t believe it.” Alaia shook her head, still laughing. 

“I told you it wouldn’t be that easy. See, I thought all these security guys would be handsome like ours, but this one… If I were you, I wouldn’t dare challenge him. He looks like he’s going to pull a knife out of somewhere and stab you right in the chest.” He touched the spot. “Sweet baby Jesus, it’s scary.” I shook my head, laughing, and pulled him along with me, Ivan following close behind. 

We walked together toward our place backstage.