CONTRACT MARRIAGE: 365 DAYS WITH ASHTON KNIGHT

CHAPTER 1

LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA

AVA's POV

After an almost three hour trip from Dallas to LA, I was expecting at least a warm hug from my parents. They hadn't seen me in the space of three years!

But instead Mom had a worried look on her face and rushed over to me waving her phone in my face.Dad was infact nowhere to be found.

"Have you seen this!" She was asking in a panic.

"Uh..thanks for the warm welcome," I said with a frown,my voice thick with sarcasm as I pushed my suitcases over to the side before she knocked them over.

"Ava, look,it's your sister," she said again with a tone of urgency as she thrusted the phone into my palm.

Right. Whenever had it never been about my sister?

I sighed deeply as I squinted my eyes at the screen after tapping on 'Play' to a video.

The video elapsed after one minute and I looked back at Mom's face in confusion.

"Uh... I don't seem to get this. It seems to be a leaked sex tape though,but of whom?"

"Your sister. Didn't you scroll downwards? Can't you see the comments?" Mom gave me a slightly irritated look.

My eyes widened as it fell back to the screen again.

I started scrolling through the comments and boy was it crazy!

It seemed to be a hot scandal about Olivia Miller,my one and only sister and Michael Raven,a popular movie director.Although her face wasn't totally visible in the video, people seemed to have it connected with her.Probably because of her tattoo.

And worse, Michael was married.

I also got to see a video about Michael's wife sending a public message to Olivia and that if she was caught,she would be severely dealt with. She called her all sorts of names,home wrecker, man stealer ,whore and the rest.

Fine,we get it.

Okay,hold up.

Why would my sister have sex with that ugly looking fatso anyway?

Forget the fact that he was rich and a movie producer and director.

He looked like King Kong!

And then there was a tape? Who filmed it in the first place? How did it get leaked?

Jesus Christ.

"Okay this is a whole lot," I blinked and handed the phone over my mother,meeting her gaze."When did all of these happen?"

"Well I can't say for sure," Mom huffed."But it got leaked this morning."

"First of all,where is she?"

"That's the worst part.She left!"

"What do you mean she left?" My brows were drawn together as I waited for a response.

"She ran away I guess. Most of her clothes were gone this morning. It gets worse. She stole from us! All the money in the safe is actually gone,"

"Wait what?"

Mom ignored me,adding another bombshell."She also stole from Ashton Knight.He was here earlier today and was in search of Olivia.He demanded a payment for the expensive Rolex watch and other accessories she stole and--"

Mom kept rambling and I didn't get most of what she said.

I groaned."Too much information Mom." I put my hands on my forehead."Can I at least take a seat first?"

"Ava," Mom called me and sat besides me,the moment my ass touched the couch.

She sat so close,as if she wanted our bodies to merge. "You don't seem to see the severity of the situation here,"

"Ah yes,what were you saying again?" I rubbed on my eyes. I was jet lagged and tired,craving my soft comfy bed.

"I stated that Ashton Knight was here earlier today.."

"The Ashton Knight? CEO of Fashion Frenzy?" I raised a brow.

"Yes that one," Mom affirmed.

Ashton Knight. I knew the guy. Okay,I didn't really know him personally and up close but I didn't like him very much.

Rephrasing that, I didn't like him one bit. Apart from the fact that he was a man whore, he fucking stole my designs!

Well, I would get back to that later.

First, how was he involved with my sister that she stole from him?

Just to be sure I asked Mom.

"Were they dating or something?"

"As if. The guy never dates. They had a one night stand or something and then the rest is history."

Olivia had a one night stand with Ashton Knight! That was crazy as hell.

Well my sister was always crazy,I expected nothing less.

I was just surprised at the fact that she stole.

"Um," I scratched the back of my head."Since when did Olivia become a thief?"

"She's not a thief," Mom defended. "She just took something once."

"That clearly doesn't belong to her," I narrowed my eyes at her."That is stealing for God's sake. And didn't you just mention she stole from the safe too? What do you call that?"

She hesitated and then heaved a deep sigh."Oh okay,I guess you're right. But you know your sister,this is new! She has never stolen anything before."

Trust my Mom to always take my sister's side even in her wrong doing.

Yes,Olivia was not just my sister but my identical twin. The exact kind of resemblance that you could not tell us apart. Well except the fact that she now has a tattoo at the back of her neck and I don't, and I'm an inch taller than her. Oh yes, the color of our hair.

She actually had hers dyed to blonde but I retained our original hair color.The one we were born with,Havana brown.

And she was my parent's favorite. She had always been and I had always been in her shadow. Even when she got into trouble, she got patted on the back for it.

She was the outgoing,daring and bold type. I on the other hand was simple and liked being in my space.

The only thing I loved the most in the world was fashion designing . Yeah that was my life's goal. To be one of the top fashion designers in the country.

And I wasn't going to stop until I got there.

I had long stopped trying to compete for my parent's love and attention. Even when they denied loving Olivia more, it was always obvious from the beginning.

"Where is Dad first of all?" I asked after scanning the living room.

Mom gave a dismissive wave of her hand."He's out somewhere,probably gambling again."

I inhaled deeply. Yeah,that was my Dad.

Since he got fired from his job four years ago, he had refused to do anything meaningful with his life. He never held a job for long after that and then he just gave up trying and decided to be a couch potato,gambling away the little money Mom made from her florist shop.

Mom never called him out on his shit though.

And things sorta got better when Olivia finally landed a movie role.

It wasn't really major but at least she got good pay. She was still an upcoming actress and kept on getting little supporting roles here and there. So it was safe to say my sister was sort of a star.

My parents couldn't be prouder.

Also,they were happy to suck out the money she made from acting. They were always demanding this and that and she had to please them.

You see,that's what you get for being the favorite. What is yours ,is theirs.

And my parents weren't content people.

They loved money a lot. Especially other people's money.

Well I couldn't blame Olivia from stealing from the safe though. It was practically her own money.

"Ava,what do we do now? This is a big mess," Mom whined,snapping me out of my thoughts.

"We?" I made a face.

"Actually, you," she looked at me intently."How are you going to pay Ashton Knight his 400 thousand dollars back?"

400 thousand freaking dollars! Wait,what?

TWO

I had actually just gotten into a mad house. Why oh why did I return from Dallas? I should have sat my fat ass right there.

This was a total nightmare!

I groaned into my pillows,kicking my foot on the soft feather bed.

My room looked nothing like what I had left behind.Olivia had practically turned the room to hers. Her stuffs were lying about everywhere, and a picture of her face was boldly hung up on the wall.

I made a mental note to bring that down and kick the rest of her stuffs out into her actual room later.

My parents knew I was coming. They could have made an effort to at least set the room in order.

Why did I leave Dallas?

Well first question should be why did I go over there in the first place.

Well it started with my fashion internship for two years. And then I decided to stay an extra year to pursue my dream.

I was so wrong.

Dallas wasn't the land flowing with milk and honey. It was far from it.

More like the wilderness.

And I suffered there for a year under an arrogant hot headed boss who always demanded perfection and drove me crazy with his unrealistic expectations.

I persevered because I had no other choice. But I got fed up and decided to quit. I was done with all the bullshit.

To get to where I wanted to be, I had to be at a new location. Los Angeles,my hometown.

The prestigious company I so longed for to work with,Couture Classic,was right here. And I was going to get in somehow.

It seemed impossible but hey,a girl could dream couldn't she?

So here I was ,a 25 year old adult,back into my parents' house searching for greener pastures.

Did I mention my boyfriend? Yes,Brett. He was the sweetest being on the planet.

I loved him with all my heart and he was always there for me.

I met him over there and a year and few months later we started dating.

We actually lived together and when I decided to return here,he came with.

Hold on,not because of his undying love for me or anything but because his Mom had a fatal accident and needed surgery.

He had three sisters which were his responsibility now,so it meant he had to be present here for a while.

I picked up my phone to call and see how he was doing.

He answered on the third ring.

"Hey beautiful," his voice was a bit low though.

"Hey, babe.How are you? How is your Mom?"

"Well I was able to deposit the money needed for her surgery in time and right now they are operating on her,"

"Oh I'm so sorry again,babe," I said,my tone apologetic." I would drop by at the hospital tomorrow,"

"It's okay baby,you just arrived here. You need to settle in at least,"

"I came home to the biggest shock of my life though,"

"What?" His voice sounded curious.

"Apparently, Olivia has been involved in a scandal over a leaked sex tape and she also stole from another guy she slept with. Not just any guy,Ashton Knight. She also stole from my parents too and is nowhere to be found,"

"Are you serious right now?"

"Dead ass. I have also been trying to reach her but it just doesn't connect. Mom is saying that I find a way to raise the money and also some extra because if we don't pay rent soon,we would be kicked out in a few days."

"Ouch. It keeps getting worse.But hey,it isn't your debt to pay. I mean,it's all on Olivia right? She is the cause of everything,"

"But now she decided to go ghost and I have to shoulder her responsibility because I'm her freaking twin."

"That's not fair," I could hear how irked he was from the tone of his voice.

"Nothing is fair in this house," I exhaled.

"Don't worry baby,we would get through this together. Just keep me updated. I gotta go now,"

"Yeah take care. I love you."

"Love you too babe," he replied just before the line went dead.

ASHTON's POV

I stormed into my house, my mind still reeling from the stunt of Olivia Miller. I couldn't believe that she had the audacity to steal from me and disappear without a trace. The thought made my blood boil.

I have had a couple of nightstands,and none had dared to take from me before.

I was going to get my money back from that deceitful woman.

I had to admit that I found myself oddly intrigued by her boldness. It was both infuriating and impressive.

While I was in my thoughts,a call came in from my mother,requesting my presence.

In a few minutes,I had driven down to her mansion.

I walked into my mother's room and immediately felt a wave of sadness wash over me. She lay in bed, surrounded by medical equipment and a team of nurses who tended to her every need.

Despite her illness, she still carried herself with the grace and poise of a true lady. Her blonde hair, once lustrous and vibrant, was now somewhat thin and fragile, framing her face in gentle waves. Her piercing green eyes still held a spark of life, despite the fatigue that weighed on her features. She spoke in a soft, measured tone, as if every word required great effort.

"Mother," I said softly, making my way to her side. "How are you feeling?"

She let out a weak smile. "As well as can be expected, honey. But that's not why I called you here."

I nodded, knowing where this was going. My mother had been nagging me about marriage for years now, but her latest health scare had only intensified her efforts.

"You know I don't have time to waste, Ashton," she continued. "I need to see you settled down before I go. Why haven't you found a suitable bride yet?"

I sighed. "Mother, you know it's not that easy. I haven't found the right woman yet."

"Well, you need to start looking," she said firmly. "I won't be around forever, and I refuse to leave this world without seeing you married and happy."

I felt a pang in my chest at her words. I couldn't imagine life without her, but I also couldn't bear to disappoint her. "I know, Mother. I'm trying. But it's not that simple."

She shook her head. "Nonsense. You're a successful businessman, Ashton. You can have any woman you want. Now, I want you to promise me that you'll start looking for a wife seriously."

I hesitated, knowing that my mother was not one to take no for an answer. "Alright, I promise. I'll start looking."

"Good," she said, her voice softening. "I just want to see you happy,honey."

I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I know, Mother. And I want that too."

As I walked out of her room, my mind was already racing with ideas of how to find the perfect woman to be my wife.

Fuck.This was so fucking hard.

She had cancer and the doctor said she might not live for more than a year.

Although her marriage had failed with my Dad,she was determined to make things work with me.

I had no interest on being tied down to one woman forever,legally bound.

As I scrolled through my phone, I suddenly came across a news article that caught my attention. It was about Olivia, and the headline read "Olivia Miller Involved in Scandal and Leaked Sex Tape."

I clicked on the link and watched in horror as the video played out before me.

Olivia was a real slut,wasn't she?

We had met at a club and she didn't hesitate to go home with me.

Her face wasn't visible in the video though but her tattoo and hair gave her away. So everyone pretty much figured it out.

This woman.

As I pulled up back to my house,a crazy idea popped into my head!

THREE

AVA's POV

I had just gotten out of the shower when I noticed a car pulling up in the driveway. As I peered out the window, I saw Ashton Knight getting out of the car, and my heart sank. What was he doing here?

Oh right. To collect his damn money.

I hurried to the door and peeked out to get a closer look. He looked angry, and I knew he was here to talk about Olivia.

I had to admit that he was a striking figure of a man, exuding an air of confidence and sophistication. His muscular body was well defined and sculpted,evident in his crisp white shirt.

His face had a light stubble, revealing chiseled jawline and high cheekbones that would make any model envious. Standing at an impressive 6 foot 4 inches tall, he towered over my Mom and definitely most people too.

I wasn't close enough to see his face properly but it was obvious how ridiculously handsome he was.

Mom greeted him with a smile. "Ashton, what a surprise! What brings you here?"

He scowled at her. "Where's Olivia?" he demanded,his voice deep and resonant.

My mom hesitated for a moment before lying, "She just needed some time away.She'll be back soon."

Ashton didn't seem to believe her. "I need to speak to her about the money she owes me. She needs to pay it back, and she needs to pay it ASAP,"

Mom looked worried. "I'm afraid we don't have that kind of money right now, Ashton."

He looked at her coldly. "Well, then we'll have to come up with another solution. I want a contract marriage. If she can't pay me back in cash, then she can pay me back with her body."

I felt sick to my stomach at his words. How could he be so cruel and heartless? I knew that Olivia had made a mistake, but this was going too far.

How dare he?

Just then,my phone started beeping. It was from Brett.

I went back into my bedroom to pick it up.

Just as I put the phone down,my Mom flung my door open and I could see Ashton getting back into his car.

"Ava,there's a huge problem but thank God you're here to solve it," she said.

I didn't like what I was hearing. I wasn't some sort of miracle worker.

"What is it Mom?" I crossed my arms over my chest as I stared at her in anticipation of what was to come.

"Well uh Ashton just left.."

"I saw"

"He wants to get married to Olivia."

Okay I had heard him mention something about that but wait! He wasn't really serious was he?

Mom continued,"He wants a marriage contract for a year with her and he is also going to help with some money, help take down her leaked tape,also forgetting about her debts."

"And then what did you say?"

"I said to give me some time to think about it. He would be back in a few days,"

I didn't understand where this was going. Ashton Knight wanted to marry my sister just out of the blue?

This had just won first place out of all the craziest things I had heard since I returned.

I thought he liked changing girls like his expensive clothing and now he was willing to settle with just one woman?

"Ridiculous," I said loudly."Did he freaking hit his head somewhere or something? It's so weird."

"Well I don't care what the reason is." Mom said seriously."The good thing is that our problems can be solved with this singular act and you need to act accordingly,"

A frown marred my face. "Act accordingly how? We need to reach Olivia as soon as possible to come take care of this mess,"

"It is pointless. Here is the thing, you need to impersonate your sister."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. It's the only way. We don't got time on our side unless you wanna be kicked out of here in a few days and start living under a bridge or a homeless shelter."

I groaned loudly."Mom you've got to be fucking kidding me right now! How are we going to pull this off?"

"What do you mean? You both literally have the same face. How hard can it be?"

I was irritated. "Jesus Christ Mom, I do have a life remember? I just came back too and now I have to take care of everything. This is too much. I didn't come back to LA to come marry some man I don't even know. I came here to pursue my dream. Fashion is my life and I won't have it any other way,"

Mom was silent for a few seconds and then started shedding crocodile tears. I had seen it a lot over the years to tell it very quickly. She was very dramatic.

She always had to get her way somehow.

"So you want us to be homeless? You don't care about anything! You want us to starve to death?" She sniffled and wiped her nose with her knuckles.

Her eyes were as dry as the Sahara desert.

She couldn't fool me.

"Ava, do something! You have to save us," she closed the space between us and shook me,pleading.

Oh my God. I wasn't Wonderwoman.

"Do you want us to live miserably and --"

"It's okay, that's enough!" I yelled and broke free from her grip."Please Mom,just give me time to process all of this. It's too much on me,"

"Ava darling,promise me you would think about it,"

I sighed,rubbing on my temples. "Yes Mom,can you leave now?"

Never in a million years did I see this coming.

Arghhhh!

I grabbed my phone and started calling Olivia again hoping by some miracle she picked it up but it kept going straight to voicemail.

'Hi this is Olivia. Can't talk right now,please leave a message at the beep.'

It was hopeless.

I felt a wave of so many emotions at the same time. Hurt,frustration,irritation,anger,confusion. All at once. How was I gonna get out of this one?

I padded out of my bedroom to go get a glass of water first of all to calm my nerves a little.

And then I found Dad just walking in with a frown on his face.

He was a man in his late fifties, with a rugged, weathered look. He rarely smiled though. Only when he was watching his favorite game on television.

"Hey, Dad," I said tentatively. "How was the game?"

I knew he had been out gambling again.

He let out a gruff snort and slammed the door shut. "Another loss," he muttered, shaking his head.And then proceeded to run his fingers through his deep rich brown hair that were beginning to show signs of grey at the temple.

This wasn't the first time my dad had lost at gambling, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But I couldn't help but feel frustrated that he couldn't see the damage he was causing to our family's finances.

"Dad, you can't keep doing this," I said firmly. "We can't afford to keep losing money like this. You need to find a better way to spend your time."

"What exactly are you saying?" He shot me a look with his deep set brown eyes looking at me like he could see through my soul.

"I'm saying that you're wasting time and money. You need to look for a stable job. Aren't you tired of all these? It's not like you ever win anything anyway,"

He scoffed at my words and brushed past me towards the room. "Mind your own business, Ava," he said, his voice tinged with annoyance.

I felt a lump form in my throat as I watched him disappear inside. It hurt me to see him so careless with our money, especially when we were struggling to make ends meet. But it seemed like he didn't care about the impact his actions were having on our family.

I turned on my heel and stormed out of the house, feeling a sense of anger and frustration boiling inside me. I knew I couldn't change my dad's behavior, but I had to do something to make sure that our family didn't suffer because of his gambling addiction.

I wasn't sure what I was gonna do yet but I had to fix things somehow. It was time for me to take matters into my own hands.