Caught in the Act

The gala was in full swing, lights flashing, glasses clinking, and the buzz of excited conversations filling the air.

Demitri stood at the edge of the crowd, scanning the room, his eyes sharp, looking for one person. Ashley.

He hadn’t seen her since their last… encounter. But one thing was clear: he needed to talk to her.

As his eyes swept over the sea of guests, his heart skipped a beat. There she was. Standing by the entrance, effortlessly commanding attention in a black dress that clung to her frame. Demitri’s pulse quickened. He had to go to her, clear things up before this spiraled further.

He started walking toward her, his steps quickening, but just as he was about to approach, he felt a hand on his arm.

“Demitri…”

He turned, already knowing who it was. Elena.

“Elena,” he said, his voice cool, but the tension between them was thick. “Not now. I’m busy.”

But Elena wasn’t backing down. “No, now,” she said, her voice sharp with urgency. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for days. You’ve been avoiding me.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not going to get away from this conversation. Not until you listen.”

Demitri’s jaw tightened. He couldn’t afford to waste time with her—not now, not here. Not with Ashley so close.

“Elena, this is not the time for this. You need to let me go,” Demitri said, trying to brush her off. But Elena’s grip tightened, and she moved in front of him, blocking his path.

“I know who Ashley really is,” she said, her words slow and deliberate. “And if you don’t give me some time, I’ll make sure the world knows it too.”

Demitri froze. What? How the hell does she know that?

Her eyes were cold, calculating. She wasn’t bluffing.

“If you let people know that your ex-wife—who you cheated on—isn’t just some woman you left behind, but the heiress of the Donaldson fortune…” Elena smirked. “Well, let’s just say your reputation won’t be the only thing ruined.”

The blood drained from Demitri’s face. He glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of Ashley, who was now talking to a group of people near the bar. His mind raced. He couldn’t let Elena spill the truth. If she did, his whole empire would collapse.

He tried to remain calm, but the pressure was mounting. “How did you find out?” he demanded.

Elena stepped closer, her voice low. “You didn’t think I’d find out, did you? You’ve made a lot of mistakes, Demitri. And now you’re going to fix one of them.”

Demitri clenched his fists, frustration boiling inside him. He knew he had to play along. For now.

“Fine,” he gritted out. “We’ll talk, but I can’t do it here.”

Without waiting for her response, he tried to move past her, heading straight for Ashley who was coming towards his way.

But Elena wasn’t finished. She blocked his path again, her arms crossed. “I’m not done with you.”

“Elena, get out of my way,” Demitri snapped, shoving her aside, his temper flaring.

The push wasn’t hard, but it was enough to send her stumbling. Elena’s hand shot out, grabbing the collar of his shirt. He stumbled back, and in that split second, his body reached out instinctively. His arm wrapped around someone’s waist—someone who was suddenly very close.

“What the—”

Ashley’s voice was a mixture of shock and confusion as Demitri’s hand inadvertently landed on her, pulling her into him. His other arm caught her, and they both lost their balance. They tumbled to the ground in a heap, Demitri’s lips crashing into Ashley’s in the chaos of it all.

The cameras, which had been capturing the event from all angles, clicked incessantly, flashing in rapid succession.