Chapter 4 Why Are You Doing This To Me

Ashley sank in the soft, leather sofa. Before she could move, Jasper pounced on her. The more she struggled, the more violent Jasper grew. He thrust his vicious tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss.

Ashley could feel Jasper's strong hands gliding across her skin. His every move was animalistic; he was a monster who was desperate to ravage her body. A shiver ran down Ashley's spine. She wanted to push him away and wipe the filthy trails of his lips and hands off her body.

"You can't do this to me, Jasper Zhan!" Ashley croaked, slapping his chest.

Jasper unclasped his tie in one swift movement and tied Ashley's hands, pinning them above her head. "Oh, I sure can! There is nothing I can't do in A City."

Ashley wanted to sink her teeth on his flesh and tear his body apart. The anger was coiling in her heart like a wild snake, waiting to strike Jasper. However, she couldn't do anything. He was right; no one could stop the Zhan family. They could have their way with everything in A City. Ashley was exhausted; she was tired of fighting a losing battle. She gritted her teeth and stared at the ceiling.

Her life had turned into hell four years ago. Up until now, she didn't know who had slept with her and made her pregnant back then. Everything had gotten worse since then. She had escaped from one monster only to be trapped by another. Her life was a tangle of problems. She didn't know whether to blame fate or herself. Every decision and every move she took had only brought her misery.

Tears welled in her eyes. Ashley bit her lips to control herself; she felt disgusted. "Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Jasper's body froze as he returned to his senses. He raked his eyes across Ashley's swollen lips, her disheveled hair, and bloodshot eyes. "You should have predicted that this might happen to you. Remember this before you even think of making a mistake."

Anger and hatred surged through her veins. She clenched her jaw and glared at Jasper.

"Did I force Flora into the hotel? Did I force her into getting laid? She has made a fortune within a few years that normal people can't even think of making in a lifetime. Glamour, glitz, the pursuit of thousands of fans; what more does she need? Shouldn't she at least put some effort into maintaining her image?

Look at me. What have I done to face these insults? A journalist is also a human. Do you think I want to do all this?"

Jasper's face darkened; he stood up, took off his coat, and threw it on her. "Yes, she should be responsible for her behavior, but you're no better. This is an invasion of privacy. I'll give you one night to think about it. If you don't destroy the footage by then..."

Jasper left the sentence unfinished. He didn't have to explain at length about his punishment. Ashley knew what he would do to her. Her big eyes were fixed on him as he left the room and slammed the door. Ashley was locked in this room.

She would either give Jasper the footage or die. Making a choice seemed easy at the moment. However, Ashley knew that nothing would change even if she handed over the videotape to him. Jasper wouldn't let her live at peace.

Moreover, she had told her superior about the surveillance video. If she handed it over to Jasper, she would be blamed by her superior.

All Ashley could do was cry. She cried until all her emotions flooded out. After what seemed like forever, Ashley wiped her eyes, tidied her clothes, and stood up. She raked her eyes across the vacant room, hoping to find a way to escape.

Her gaze settled on the gigantic door made of sandalwood; it was impossible to break it open. She would only make a commotion and attract people's attention. 'What about the window?' Ashley ran toward the enormous window. She looked down, hoping to find a way out. But her heart skipped a beat when she realized that they were on the fifth floor.

Escaping from the place was hard, not impossible. Every floor had a terrace. She could jump across every one of them before landing on the ground.

Ashley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'I can do this!"

She wrapped a piece of cloth around her waist and moved down carefully. Her heart was in the throat the entire time. Panic wracked her veins, but she had to do this. "Whoa! Is this a villa? Looks like a freaking castle!"

Ashley was now in the middle of the villa. The large windows emblazoned on the walls reflected the moonlight. A neatly-trimmed lawn was sprawled across the foot of the villa. Foams of water from the fountain sparkled under the night sky. A row of glass greenhouses was situated in the west. A variety of flowers and leaves, strewn across the casing, were swaying under the gentle breeze.

The light from dim yellow lanterns carved on the walls flooded across the marble road, illuminating the path. However, Ashley couldn't spot the gate. Silence consumed the place except for the occasional rustling of the lush leaves that were caressed by the night breeze.

"Damn it! How do I escape from here?" cursed Ashley. She leaped forward and landed on a circular protrusion. Just when she was wondering what this strange object was, she heard the blaring of the alarm.

Ashley's heart began to pound wildly. The wailing alarm alerted the bodyguard near the gate; he instantly spotted her and ran to her. "A suspicious person is lurking on the third floor of Block C. Team One and Two, assemble right now!" the man muttered his orders through his walkie-talkie. A group of men in uniform gathered from all directions, swaying the electric batons in their hands.

"Damn it! I think I have stepped on the alarm." Ashley was soon surrounded by men. Before she could think of her next move, one of the bodyguards climbed up the ladder to catch her.

Ashley was in trouble again. If the bodyguards seize her, they would take her to Jasper. The cruel monster would assault her again. 'God, I'm screwed.' Ashley broke into a cold sweat. She looked around and realized that she was trapped on the third floor. This was worse than she had imagined.

After a moment's hesitation, Ashley decisively untied the strip on her waist, letting herself fall. Her lungs constricted as she plunged on the balcony downstairs. The window of the balcony was opened. She used the opportunity and dived in.

A faint light from the night lamp illuminated the room. Her eyes widened; she didn't expect anyone to be in the room. She nervously trudged into the room. Her gaze settled on a small figure curled up on the bed.

"No! No! No! Get away from me!" a boy cried as he began to twitch violently.

Ashley was stunned. She paused for a moment before walking up to him. The innocent face of the boy came into view. He was perhaps four or five years old. Beads of sweat enveloped his furrowed brows. He was crying and screaming in his sleep. Ashley's heart ached as she realized that the boy was having a nightmare.

"No! Please help me!" The boy was kicking and rolling on the bed.

Just when he was about to fall, Ashley swept him in her arms. "Shh...it's okay," she whispered in his ear, rocking him gently. "Don't worry. I have driven the monsters away. I won't let them anywhere near you."

The boy stopped crying. He nestled his head in her arms. "Mom,'' he murmured and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

That one word pierced through Ashley's heart. Tears glistened her eyes; she couldn't help but trail her fingers across his serene face.

If her son were still alive, he would have been as old as the boy was. He would have also wanted his mother by his side at night. She would have been a happy mother.

Unfortunately, fate was unkind to her.

The memories of her bitter past engulfed her. Sorrow and pain were weighing on her chest, Ashley could barely breathe. She was about to place the boy on the bed. The shattering of the window brought Ashley back to her senses. The door flew ajar, and fully-armed bodyguards surrounded her.

"Let go of Nelson!" Jasper bellowed.

Holding the boy, Ashley tried to explain.

"You are disgusting! How could you use a four-year-old as a shield to protect you? Shame on you!" Plain hatred was written across Jasper's face.

The baseless accusation stabbed Ashley's heart. She was helping the boy. But Jasper didn't know any of it. He was blaming her for no reason.

The electric batons in the bodyguards' hands whirred. Ashley fisted her palm, pulled the boy closer, and sneered at Jasper.

"You're right. I'm using this boy for my safety. Let me go. Otherwise, this child will die with me."

Ashley could feel the temperature rise in the room. Her palms grew sweaty; she prayed for the plan to work. Ashley didn't know the relationship between the boy and Jasper. It would be embarrassing if he ignored the threat.

Ashley's heart sank; she felt stupid for making an impulsive move. However, Jasper and the bodyguards stepped aside, making room for her to leave. Jasper's figure was concealed in the dark; she couldn't see his expression.

The child was still asleep in her arms, oblivious to the commotion. She looked at him and wondered how he was sleeping despite the chaos. Ashley pretended to be tough, but she was scared deep down. She stormed out of the room, hoping to escape before Jasper changed his mind.

However, the man pounced on her as soon as she stepped out of the room.

Jasper snatched the child from Ashley's arms, leaving no time for her to react. He pushed her to the floor and grabbed her arms. Ashley thought that Jasper didn't care about the boy, but she was wrong.

Ashley squeezed her eyes shut as the pain was unbearable. It seemed that Jasper was going to break her arms. She could tell Jasper was completely enraged this time. "Congratulations! You have given me a better reason to punish you," he said.

Ashley's lips quivered; she turned her face in disdain. She wasn't going to explain. Explaining the truth wouldn't do her any good; Jasper wouldn't believe her.

Ashley saw the bodyguard holding the boy. She was relieved to find that the brawl hadn't hurt him. Ashley couldn't comprehend the emotions simmering in her heart. She didn't know why she cared for a child whom she had never seen before.

"Argh! It is noisy here. Daddy, why are you here? What happened?" The boy rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at Jasper. Ashley's heart skipped a beat.

'Does Jasper have a child?' She had a vague guess that the boy might be Jasper's son. But everyone knew that the man was unmarried. How could he possibly have a son?