CHAINS

A Glimpse of Ashton

The club was alive with pulsing music, flashing lights, and the hum of too many voices talking over each other. Ashton leaned against the bar, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his sharp eyes scanning the room. He wasn’t here for the chaos or the noise. He was here because it was expected of him, another night of playing the part of the wealthy, untouchable heir to his family’s empire. But tonight, something ,or someone, caught his attention.

She was across the room, laughing with a group of friends, her dark hair catching the light as she tossed her head back. There was something about her, something raw, something real, that made it impossible for him to look away. She wasn’t like the others who flocked to him, drawn by his name, his money, his power. She was... different. And that intrigued him.

He didn’t even realize he was moving until he was standing in front of her, his presence commanding.
He couldn’t resist approaching her. The way she moved, the way she laughed, it was intoxicating. And when their eyes met, he felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. A spark. A connection. He didn’t know her name, didn’t care about her past. All he knew was that he wanted her.

And then she smiled, a small, tentative thing that made his chest tighten, He smirked, his usual mask slipping back into place. He took her hand, pulling her onto the dance floor, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt something other than the cold, calculated emptiness that usually filled him.

The night blurred after that. They danced, they kissed, and before he knew it, they were in a room together. It was passionate, intense, and for the first time in a long time, Ashton felt alive.

That night changed everything. He hadn’t planned for it to go that far, but there was something about her, Molly, that made him lose control. For once, he wasn’t thinking about his family, his responsibilities, or the weight of his name. He was just... present. And when she left the next morning, slipping out of his bed before he woke, he told himself it didn’t matter. It was just one night. Just another fleeting moment in a life filled with them.

At first, he didn’t think much of it. It was just another night, another fling. But then, two months later, he found out she was pregnant. His child. His heir. He couldn’t ignore that. He had to find her.

When he finally tracked her down, he was prepared to do whatever it took to be a part of his child’s life. He didn’t expect to feel anything for her, his first reaction was cold detachment. He didn’t do emotions. He didn’t do attachments. And yet, there she was, standing in front of him, her eyes filled with fear and something else, something that made his chest ache in a way he didn’t understand.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said, his voice cold and clinical.

And for a while, that was how it was. He provided for her, made sure she had everything she needed, but he kept his distance.  He didn’t ask how she was doing. He told himself it was better this way, for both of them.

---

But then she gave birth. And everything changed.

He hadn’t planned to be there. He told himself he didn’t care. But when he got the call that she was in labor, something inside him snapped. He found himself rushing to the hospital, his heart pounding in a way he couldn’t explain. And when he saw her, exhausted but radiant, holding their son in her arms, something shifted inside him.

He didn’t know how to describe it. It wasn’t love, he didn’t believe in love. But it was something. Something possessive. Something primal. This was his family. His son. His Molly. And no one was going to take them away from him.

---

At first, he tried to keep his distance. He told himself he could be a father without letting her in, without letting her see the darker parts of him. But the more time he spent with her, the more he realized how much she affected him. She was kind, gentle, and fiercely independent, everything he wasn’t. And it drove him crazy.

He started noticing things, the way she smiled at the waiter when they went out to dinner, the way she laughed at a joke her friend made, the way she talked to the delivery guy who brought packages to the house. It wasn’t that she was flirting. She wasn’t. But the thought of her even looking at another man made his blood boil.

The first time he lost control, it was over something small. She had been talking to one of the gardeners, thanking him for fixing the fence. Ashton had watched from the window, his jaw clenched as the man smiled at her. He didn’t even realize he was moving until he was outside, his hand gripping the man’s arm hard enough to bruise.

“Stay away from her,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Molly had been furious. “What is wrong with you?” she had shouted, her eyes blazing. “He was just doing his job!”

Ashton didn’t have an answer. He didn’t know how to explain the storm inside him, the way his jealousy consumed him. All he knew was that he couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else near her. She was his. And he would do whatever it took to keep her that way.

---

The incidents became more frequent after that. He would see her talking to someone, anyone, and the rage would bubble up inside him, uncontrollable and all-consuming. He didn’t mean to hurt her. He never meant to hurt her. But his anger was like a wildfire, burning everything in its path. And when it was over, when he saw the fear in her eyes, the guilt would eat at him.

But he couldn’t stop. He didn’t know how. She was his. His Molly. His son’s mother. And the thought of losing her, of her leaving him,was unbearable.

So he held on tighter. He controlled her movements, her interactions, her life. And when she tried to pull away, when she tried to leave, he would remind her, gently at first, then more forcefully, that she belonged to him. That she always would.

---

Ashton knew he wasn’t a good man. He knew he was broken, that his jealousy and possessiveness were toxic. But he couldn’t help it. She was the only thing that made him feel alive. The only thing that made him feel anything at all.

And he would do whatever it took to keep her. Even if it destroyed them both.

****