The four of them turned their attention to the newcomer—Katelyn Harrington. Ashley's chest heaved with rage, her mind flooding with memories as her eyes locked onto Kate's. She felt small under her scrutiny, like prey being sized up.
Lorenzo's jaw ticked beside her, his eyes flashing with animosity. He recognized Katelyn immediately, but it wasn't vice versa. How dare her speak to Ashley with such harshness?
He was about to give the old lady whom he thought resembled a clown, a piece of his mind when Ashley stopped him. "Please allow me to handle this." She whispered.
Lorenzo's jaw clenched even more tightly, contemplating whether or not to grant Ashley's request. But her unwavering gaze stripped him of any choice. Finally, he gave a slow nod, but he remained at alert, ready to step in if the need arose.
Ashley's attention snapped back to Katelyn, whose eyes were now boring into her with a mixture of disdain and curiosity. Katelyn was wondering how Ashley managed to gain access into an event only meant for the elites, and the identity of the intimidating looking man whose hand shamelessly clung to her waist.
'They definitely lied their way in.' She thought, choosing to ignore how sophisticated they both looked.
Ashley's gaze swept over Katelyn, taking in her matching two-piece attire, before focusing on her overdone makeup. The heavy layers made Katelyn look like a caricature, especially with the scowl etched on her face.
'She had clearly pissed off the wrong makeup artist' she thought, amused.
"Katelyn." Ashley spat, purposely using her full name. Katelyn had preferred to be called "Madam Kate" when Ashley had been her son's wife, but thankfully, that was no longer the case.
Katelyn's eyes widened, shock flickering across her face. "I see you're right in time to save the Harrington's name as always." Ashley drawled, her voice laced with sarcasm. "...because these two just had a disagreement." She glanced at Kayla and Christian, her gaze suggestive. "You know what usually follows."
"How dare you..." Kayla started, furious.
Lorenzo watched the scene unfold, a mischievous smirk gracing his lips, his chest swelled with pride at how effortlessly Ashley handled the uncultured riffraffs.
"How dare you insult us right in our presence," Christian spoke over Kayla, his face red.
Ashley rolled her eyes, gaze darting between the three. "Y'all can't deny I'm spitting fact, right Kayla?" She flashed her sweetest smile.
"Another word from you and I swear..."
"If I were you I would slow down, Chris baby." Ashley interrupted, mimicking the way Kayla calls him.
Katelyn placed a hand on Christian's chest to stop his advance. Though she badly wanted to deal with the lowlife for her disrespect, she was aware of the cameras-they had to tread with caution.
"There are cameras everywhere, and you wouldn't want to humiliate the Harrington's name, do you?" Ashley further taunted christian.
'My little tigress.' Lorenzo quietly praised. He was glad that Ashley wasn't totally helpless all these years without him after all.
Kayla seethed beside Christian, furious he couldn't put Ashley in her place already.
Meanwhile, Christian's childish tantrums irritated Ashley to her bones, a wave of cringe washing over her at the thought of having once tolerated this attitude. She had been blindsided by love, ignoring the fact that he was always a stupid Mama's boy.
But now, all she felt was anger and disgust—angry at herself for allowing these people to use, humiliate, and disrespect her for so long.
Christian glanced around feeling helpless. He wanted to remind Ashley that she was a nobody, and therefore shouldn't be speaking to him with such disrespect, but he couldn't do much with the cameras she spoke about.
Seeing Christian's defeated expression, Katelyn stepped to save his face. "Ashley, I must say you've forgotten your place, biting the finger that once fed you. Don't tempt me to remind you."
Ashley instantly felt Lorenzo's arm tighten around her waist, his aura turning more intimidating than the last second. The possessive manner in which his hand clung to Ashley infuriated christian to no end.
"I really hate my woman being threatened right in my face, old lady." Lorenzo spoke, his voice carrying a deathly air that sent a chill down their spines, including Ashley.
There was no trace of that soothing, calm tone he normally used, making Ashley wonder if he was the same person.
Lorenzo's aura somehow unnerved Kate, but she didn't let it show. She particularly hated how he referred to her as an "old lady". Kate was the type who gave much attention to her skin and look, even though she did look like a clown at the moment.
"And who are you?" She sized up Lorenzo. She didn't like his arrogance one bit.
Lorenzo's arrogant smirk only grew, just as his eyes darkened. Katelyn, christian and Kayla were foolish to make trouble with him- he knew things about them that could destroy their lives with just a snap of his finger.
Holding Katelyn's glare, Lorenzo replied in an overly calm tone. "I am someone whose very existence should be your worst nightmare." But only a fool would ignore the storm woven tightly around that calmness.
A shudder ran down Katelyn's spine. No man has ever made her feel so intimidated, so small, like this one right here. His words sent fear crawling right to her heart, but she struggled to maintain indifference.
Lorenzo turned around, keeping Ashley close as they walked away. But Katelyn wasn't done. She couldn't let them hurt her ego and leave just like that.
Her next word made Ashley freeze, Lorenzo with her.
"I bet she hasn't told you how much of a man she's, huh? Four years and not even a miscarriage to _ for it," Katelyn spat. "A man like you would surely want a child to call yours."
"Mom!" Christian snapped.
Lorenzo cast Ashley a confused glance, wondering what the old witch was insinuating.
"You should let her put the ungrateful bitch in her place, since you couldn't." Kayla glared at Christian who was trying to stop Katelyn from spitting more harsh words. "We can all agree she's not cut out for a place like this." She eyed Ashley whose orbs now blazed with raw fury. "...mingling with people like us."
Katelyn's words had struck a nerve, and Ashley had to take a deep breath, sucking in her lower lip to stop the tears threatening to cloud her vision. If it weren't for these monsters, she would still have her child. How dare them stand here to accuse her of being barren when they had thrown her out of their home, pregnant?
Only that Christian never really believed Ashley was ever pregnant. He never gave it a second thought, even after she left, believing it was impossible with the amount of pills he made her swallow.
Ashley briefly met Lorenzo's gaze, noticing the questions in his eyes, then looked away.
A realization immediately dawned on Lorenzo, 'Ashley was once Christian's wife'.
And judging from what he was witnessing, they treated her like trash. A wave of rage boiled within him, threatening to unlease, as he swore to make make them pay for causing her pain.
They were beginning to garner some attention. Ashley noticed it, and cussed quietly. She had hoped to attend the ceremony peacefully, assume her new position, and return to her shell, not to be caught involved in some drama.
'I need to end this now.' she thought.
With a calculated smile that surprised even herself, Ashley turned to the "lions" and said, "Pleasure to see y'all again."
And with that, she spun around to walk away after savoring the shock in their faces, but then remembered something else that made her step halt.
"You know that if you were so fertile, you wouldn't have just one disappointing excuse of a child to show for it, Katelyn." Ashley said over her shoulder, earning a wide grin from Lorenzo.
"And it's been two years since you got yourself a new puppet..." she cast another disgusted glance at Kayla who was now only a breath away from exploding. "Are you sure your son doesn't need a check-up from the inside out?"
This time she didn't give them a chance to recover before she finally walked away with a grinning Lorenzo.
"Nice one, sunshine." Lorenzo whispered, making Ashley's pride swell, and she smiled, choosing to forgive him for the endearment this once.
Though she hadn't forgotten how he referred to her as "his woman" earlier. It still upset her, and even though it had been in her defense, she still planned to confront him once they were completely away from the Harringtons' burning glares.
The last thing she needed was to have Lorenzo thinking he could just pop out of the air after eight years and reclaim her. She was tired of men treating her like some object.
Ashley was done being that girl, two fucking years ago.