Ashley spun around, and there stood Lorenzo, calm and composed as ever.
But something was different. He seemed more serious than usual—perhaps even sad. For a brief moment, she wanted to ask if he was okay but immediately pushed the thought aside. She didn't see why she should be concerned about him. Plus she still remembered throwing him out some hours ago.
What was he still doing here, anyway?
"Why did you come back, Mr. Grey?" she asked, her voice sharper than intended.
His smile was off, and there was something troubled in his eyes. "Ashley, I'm…"
Sensing an apology coming, she cut him off. "Look, I'm not in the mood for whatever drama is going on between you and Christian. Just leave me out of it."
Without waiting for a response to the question she'd asked earlier, she turned and continued toward her car. But Lorenzo followed.
"Ashley, please, just hear me out," he pleaded.
She ignored him, climbed into the car, and signaled a frowning Greg to drive.
As they pulled away, she watched through the window as Lorenzo ran a frustrated hand through his hair before getting into his own car.
To her surprise, he started following them.
"I think the man from the company is following us. Want me to call security?" Greg asked, his aura turning more intimidating.
"No. Just drive a bit further, then find a place to park. I want to know what he wants."
Greg hesitated. "Are you sure about that, ma'am?"
"Yes."
From the way his scowl deepened, Ashley knew he wasn't pleased with the idea, but he nodded anyway.
Lorenzo continued tailing them, taking every turn they took, until Greg finally pulled into a random parking spot. Lorenzo did the same, but to Ashley's annoyance, he didn't step out of his car.
Irritated, she threw open her door, marched over to his car, and tapped on the tinted glass.
The window slowly rolled down, revealing the man whose smile made her heart leap a thousand miles.
Words instantly failed her.
"I'm really sorry for the drama at your office, Sunshine. I never meant to hurt you," he said softly. She was tired of making threats concerning the nickname, so she just let him.
Lorenzo's apologetic gaze and slightly pouted lips made him look ridiculously endearing.
And the truth was—he hadn't hurt her. He had fought for her.
That apology? It was as if he knew exactly which buttons to press.
Ashley felt her anger slowly slip away, replaced by a strange flutter in her chest. Something was definitely wrong with her.
"Why are you following us, Mr. Grey?" she finally managed, inhaling deeply to steady her voice. "I could report you for stalking, you know."
The image of him defending her against Christian flashed in her mind again, weakening her resolve even more. But she couldn't let him see that.
"I'm really sorry. I just really want to talk to you," he said calmly.
He opened his door and stepped out, his eyes never leaving Ashley's.
By reflex, she gave him a once-over and swallowed hard. Even in a simple matching black two-piece sweatsuit, he still managed to look sinfully hot.
"I couldn't leave after security threw us out," Lorenzo admitted. "I stayed in my car, waiting for you to finish work."
She raised a brow, surprised. "That was at least five hours."
"You're worth every second of my time, Ashley. Every moment. And I mean that."
His words made Ashley's heart stutter, and there was something about the way he said her name—it made her want to hear it again. But his piercing gaze felt like he was seeing right through her. Her thoughts turned hazy, her pulse racing like she had just run a marathon.
Determined to snap out of it, she tore her gaze away, cleared her throat, and turned to leave. But Lorenzo stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
"I came to ask you something really important when I saw you with Christian," he said, his voice edged with bitterness. The way he said Christian's name made her wonder what exactly had caused such deep animosity between them. But she quickly pushed the thought aside.
"My time is valuable, Mr..."
"Please, can you stop with the 'Mr. Grey, Mr. Grey' and just call me by my name?" he interrupted, exasperated. "You know my name, and it would really love to hear you say it."
His frustration caught Ashley off guard. She rolled her eyes, recalling how he had done the same to her at the party.
"Before you interrupted, I was saying I'm a busy woman, Mr. Grey," she continued, deliberately emphasizing the title.
Lorenzo's jaw clenched in frustration, sending an unexpected flutter to her stomach. At least she had managed to rile him up for once.
"I'm exhausted from work and would love to go home to rest now. If what you want to ask is so important, book an appointment with my secretary. And don't follow my car next time. That's creepy, and I won't be this nice again. Goodbye, Mr. Grey." She rapped out the orders all at once, stressing the "Mr. Grey" one last time, savoring the pained look on Lorenzo's face.
"It's about your daughter."
Ashley froze.
Her heart pounded against her chest as she snapped her gaze back to Lorenzo.
His amber eyes held hers, filled with something she didn't want—empathy and pain.
She hated that look. It screamed pity.
"How do you know that?" Her voice trembled. "Are you digging into my history?"
"It's not like that… I..."
She cut him off, anger flaring.
"Are you investigating my private life behind my back, Lorenzo Grey?" Ashley demanded, fists clenched.
"No," Lorenzo answered firmly.
She glared at him. "And yet you know about my daughter."
"I'm just trying to help, Ashley. I want to protect you from Christian."
"You have no right to dig into my personal life. What's between Christian and me is none of your business! Do you understand?"
Lorenzo's jaw tightened. "I'm making it my business. I can't let him hurt you again."
"You think you can just barge into my life and fix everything, huh?" she snapped. "You lost that right when you abandoned me without an explanation."
Lorenzo lowered his gaze.
"I know you're hurting, Ashley. And I genuinely want to help. I apologize for the pain I caused you—I know I can't take it back. But like I said before, I'm ready to work for your forgiveness. I'm willing to do anything."
She scoffed. Men always thought a simple apology could fix everything.
"How exactly do you plan to help me, huh? By attacking Christian every time you see him?"
"I couldn't stand by and watch him lay his filthy hands on you."
"Will that bring my daughter back?"
Ashley's voice cracked.
Lorenzo's gaze mirrored her anguish. He reached out, but she slapped his hand away.
The mere thought of her daughter was like an open wound.
"Eight years ago, you claimed you loved me just to get into my panties," she whispered, unsure why she was even bringing that up. But everything just hurt so much.
Lorenzo's expression darkened. "You know that's not true. You seduced me, remember?"
She let out a bitter chuckle. "And then you decided to fake a relationship with me just to keep getting the candy. Am I wrong?"
"Stop saying that, Ashley. I loved you. I loved you more than life itself."
She stared at him in disbelief. "But I guess you just couldn't help running off."
"I did what I did to protect you."
"No, you did what you did to punish me for shamelessly throwing myself at you," Ashley shot back.
Lorenzo's hands raked through his hair in frustration.
"I hate you, Lorenzo," Ashley whispered shakily. "You're a selfish monster. And I don't need your support. The only thing I want from you...is to stay away from me. Go back to wherever you came from."
Lorenzo opened his mouth to speak, but she didn't let him.
"All of you… just. Leave. Me. The. Fuck. Alone!" she emphasized each word, poking her finger against his chest, her body vibrating with rage.
Lorenzo's gaze dropped, and with an unsteady movement, he stepped back, allowing her to pass.
Ashley fled to the safety of her car, unable to stand another second of him.
As they drove away, she caught a glimpse of him still standing there—looking angry, defeated… broken.
The sight caused a pang of guilt in her chest. For some reason, she hated the hurt in his eyes.
Burying her face in her palm, she cried.
Greg watched her from the rearview mirror with a worried expression. If only Ashley would give him the permission to beat up Lorenzo for making his new boss cry, he wouldn't hesitate.