"Adrian, if it's okay, I'd like to have dinner with you sometime next week. Your mom told me you're around for the week," Caelia proposed, her eyes holding a hint of eagerness.

"Yes, Adrian, I feel you two should have lunch and catch up. It's been a while," Caelia's mother added, glancing at Eleanor for support.

Adrian glanced at his mother, who offered a subtle nod of agreement. His gaze then shifted to his uncle, who maintained a neutral expression.

"I apologize, Caelia, but I won't be able to join you for lunch. I have a lot of matters to handle this week," Adrian said curtly.

Caelia's face flushed with embarrassment, and she bit her lip.

"I'll ask my secretary to arrange an appointment for you. Just let him know where you’d like to go," he added, signaling his secretary forward.

Caelia looked as if she wanted to refuse, but Adrian gave no room for discussion. He stood up, effectively ending the conversation. Eleanor placed a comforting hand on Caelia's back, offering an encouraging squeeze. Caelia offered a small, obedient nod.

"I'll discuss it with him later," Eleanor murmured to Caelia, then suggested she go and join the others.

Caelia stood, offered polite greetings to the remaining family members, and then left to find Clarissa and Isabella.

********************

Late that night, on the second floor of the Cagliari mansion, Adrian was in his study, engrossed in work. News of his arrival had spread, and he was flooded with proposals, contract reviews, and diplomatic matters. He sat through a lengthy executive meeting with the heads of Cagliari Industries from various sectors, accompanied by his secretary, Mr. Turner. The meeting lasted until 11 p.m. before finally concluding.

Dismissing Turner for the night, Adrian made his way to his room, only to find his mother waiting outside in her wheelchair, accompanied by a maid.

"I want to have a word with you," Eleanor said.

Without hesitation, Adrian opened the door and ushered her inside. His room was spacious, adorned in a minimalist style; partly because he was rarely home and partly because he disliked unnecessary clutter. Eleanor gestured for him to sit on the bed, but he remained standing, implying he wished to keep the conversation brief.

"Since you're in such a hurry, I'll get to the point," she said. "I want you to get closer to Caelia. It wasn’t very kind of you to turn down her invitation."

Adrian stiffened, immediately recognizing where this was headed.

"Mother—"

"No," Eleanor interrupted. "I've let you do as you please long enough, but I won’t sit idly by any longer. The LaRosa family was one of your father’s greatest allies, and Caelia has been your childhood friend. This arrangement was always meant to happen. You need to stop avoiding her and start building a relationship."

She regretted not finalizing the engagement sooner, by now, there could have been a child running around the mansion. Caelia adored Adrian, and to Eleanor, that should have been enough.

"Mother, I don’t believe Caelia would be a suitable match for me. I refuse to be bound by my father’s promises. You should get some rest now," he said firmly, signaling for the maid to escort Eleanor back to her room.

As they left, Turner rushed into the room.

"What is it?" Adrian grunted, slipping into his night robe.

"Boss, I have new information about Ashleigh Hartman."

Adrian’s eyes flickered with interest as he listened. A slow, amused chuckle escaped his lips.

"Is that so?" he mused, gazing out the window in thought.

After a moment, he made a decision. "Contact my private lawyer."

******************

Two weeks had passed peacefully for Ashleigh at Tixton. In a surprising turn of events, Mrs. Smith had not only been pardoned by the CEO but had also been promoted. Now in a higher position, she ensured Ashleigh was responsible for training new recruits. a perk of having a well-placed family member.

Despite the unexpected promotion, Ashleigh remained composed. She diligently guided the new staff and fulfilled her responsibilities, earning the respect of both her colleagues and new hires. She even made a few friends, including James and Fiona, who had become her lunch companions.

James was tall and lanky, giving the impression of someone unfit for manual labor, but he was much stronger than he looked. Standing at 5'8", he had a tan complexion and a boyish charm. Fiona, on the other hand, was petite—shorter than Ashleigh, earning her the nickname "Fun-sized." Both were two years older than Ashleigh and treated her like their younger sibling, despite her teasing them about being a couple.

As they sat in the cafeteria, enjoying their meals and chatting, Fiona suddenly nudged Ashleigh—hard.

"What was that for?" Ashleigh complained, rubbing her shoulder.

"Uhmmm… isn't that Mr. Cagliari's secretary walking toward us?" Fiona whispered urgently, eyes wide.

Sure enough, Mr. Turner was approaching their table with purpose. Ashleigh straightened in her seat and offered a polite smile as he stopped in front of them.

"Sorry to interrupt your lunch, Miss Hartman, but the CEO would like to see you," Turner said briskly.

Ashleigh hesitated, feeling a sudden wave of unease. "Okay… I guess."

As she rose to follow him, she turned back to see Fiona and James mouthing exaggerated questions: "What’s going on?"

"Are you in trouble?" She shook her head, signaling that she had no clue.

Turner led her toward the first-floor elevator. Just before stepping inside, she stopped him.

"Aren’t you going to tell me what this is about?"

Turner gave a slight smile. "Apologies for the confusion, Miss Hartman, but it’s the CEO who wants to speak with you."

Her heart skipped a beat.

She wondered why Mr. Cagliari wanted to see her. Mr. Turner pressed the button to open the private elevator.

"Are you sure? I can take the stairs," she suggested, but he stood firm.

As they made their way up, her mind ran in circles, trying to understand why the CEO wanted to see her.

She hadn't received any complaints so far and saw no reason for him to want to see her. She would only know once she arrived. Once again, she found herself on the fourth floor of the company, the executive floor. This was the floor housing the offices of the president and the vice president, although she had never met the latter. They walked past the conference room to the end of the hall where a gold plaque on a door read: CEO.

"You may go in," Turner gestured, opening the door for her. She stepped inside. The space was vast, furnished exquisitely with Italian pieces. She hadn't imagined a room could be so expansive.

Her eyes roamed the opulent space before landing on a seating arrangement near a large window. Her aunt sat on one of the plush couches, Mr. Cagliari on another, and a third man she didn't recognize was seated beside him.

The couches were arranged around a sleek glass center table, upon which sat an envelope and mugs of coffee.

"Aunt," she called out, her voice echoing slightly in the large room. Mrs. Smith looked up, a warm smile gracing her lips. Mr. Cagliari also raised his eyes, as did the unknown man.

"My dear, why are you standing so far?" her aunt beckoned. But Ashleigh remained rooted to the spot, peering at Mr. Cagliari with unconcealed suspicion.

"What's this about, Aunt?" she questioned firmly, her gaze meeting Mr. Cagliari's head-on. A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.

He looked impeccably dressed today in a beige suit and matching shoes. His dark hair was slicked back, revealing a strong jawline accentuated by a neatly trimmed stubble that lent him a mature air. He sat with one leg crossed over the other, reaching for his cup of coffee on the table and sipping it nonchalantly.

"Won't you come closer? Or must we shout?"

Hesitantly, Ashleigh moved to sit beside her aunt, keeping a wary distance from Mr. Cagliari.

Adrian took a long, assessing look at her. Her eyes were wide with apprehension as she waited for him to speak, her hands clutching her aunt's clothes tightly.

"Ashleigh, your aunt and I have been discussing things before you arrived," he remarked. She turned to her aunt, who avoided her gaze.

"I have a proposition for you—a marriage proposal," he stated, the words hanging in the air, and Ashleigh couldn't mask her shock.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" she asked, staring at him in disbelief.

"I am asking you to marry me," he repeated firmly, and a startled laugh escaped her lips.

This man seemed completely out of touch with reality. Who talks about marriage so casually?

"I'm sorry, it's just... it sounds like a joke. Is it? Can you tell a better one?" Her smile quickly faded, replaced by a serious expression. Her aunt started to intervene, but Ashleigh cut her off. "No, Aunt, I need to speak to him." She held Adrian's gaze.

"Well, Mr. Cagliari," she began, a hint of sarcasm lacing her tone, "why exactly do you want to marry me?" A wry smile touched his lips.

"Miss Hartman, I have a pressing need, and I believe you suit those requirements," he replied, his eyes sweeping over her in a considering manner.

Ashleigh was bewildered by the absurdity of the situation, even more so that her aunt had apparently heard this nonsense and hadn't immediately dismissed it.

"Aunt," she inquired, her voice incredulous, "did you hear what he just said?" Mrs. Smith let out a low sigh.

"Well, Ashleigh dear, I've heard everything, and I want you to consider it as well," she responded, her voice softening as Ashleigh's disbelief deepened.

"Look, Ashleigh, it's not a bad offer," her aunt continued, trying to sound encouraging.

"He has promised to care for you and compensate you when the contract is over." Ashleigh shifted away from her aunt, a sense of betrayal washing over her.

"Miss Hartman, I am Mr. Cagliari's lawyer and legal representative. I have the marriage contract here," the man who had been observing silently finally spoke.

He reached into the envelope and placed a document in front of her. Ashleigh sat silently, her eyes fixed on the bold letters at the top: MARRIAGE AGREEMENT CONTRACT.

"Ashleigh, I know this is a lot to take in," Adrian added, his gaze steady on her still figure.

"I want you to think carefully. During the time you are my legal wife, you and your aunt will be fully taken care of. Consider it a favor." Ashleigh finally raised her head to look directly at him, a spark of anger igniting in her eyes.

"Did I ask you for a favor, Mr. Cagliari? There are a thousand women who would jump at this opportunity, but I am not one of them. And don't you ever approach me with such a proposition again," she said through clenched teeth, turning abruptly to leave.

She had reached the door when Adrian's voice stopped her.

"Miss Hartman... or is that your real name?"

She turned sharply, a fierce glint in her eyes. "What?"

"You think you're just an orphan? Then your aunt hasn't been entirely truthful with you, has she?" Adrian taunted, a knowing look in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" she asked in a hushed tone, her heart pounding. He stood up to face her, his presence suddenly looming.

This was the question that had always been a thorn in her side. She longed to know about her birth parents but lacked the resources to find out, a desire buried at the back of her mind, something she hoped to pursue after saving enough money.

She had lived her life day by day at the orphanage until her aunt appeared one day. Until now, whenever she had asked her aunt or tried to broach the subject, her aunt had fiercely shut it down, insisting her parents were dead and there was no reason to discuss it.

Her aunt had told her no stories of her parents, their hometown, or their families, explaining that it was for the best.

Looking at Adrian Cagliari, a chilling certainty washed over her: there was far more to her story than she knew.

"Whatever I want to know about my parents I can find out myself" she retorted and he chuckled at her. He truly admired her courage and naivety, thinking she would be able to find out about her parents so easily.

"My dear..." he drawled, running his hands through her hair playfully.

"Be my guest. You would be dead at the first try. Your Aunty Smith knows this very well, your case is not as simple as you think it is" he continued. Her fiery gaze tugged at his heart string wildly, he liked her little acts of defiance even though she is a shivering leaf.

"I am the only one that can guarantee your safety. You can only walk naively around this world for long but they are lurking in the shadows, waiting for you.

Once you step out of your shell, trust me your head would be in your hands. But don't take it from me though, find out for yourself how long you can survive out there" he drawled, gesturing for her to leave.

Ashleigh was filled with fear at this point, she looked at Mr. Cagliari as he strolled to his office chair, signalling he was done with the conversation, his lawyer followed suit standing up to reach for the papers. She then looked at her aunt who looked slumped on the chair, as if admitting defeat. As the lawyer was about grabbing the last paper on the floor she quickly grasped his hand. Her other hand grabbed her light coloured uniform tightly in desperation as she looked straight at Mr Cagliari who was on the phone calling his secretary to come in and escort them out.

"Where do I need to sign?"

**********************************

TWO WEEKS AGO

"Boss, I have news about Ashleigh Hartman" Turner stood behind his boss, after ensuring the door was closed properly.

Adrian turned to face him, seeing as he came at this time of the night despite asking him to retire already it must be important. Adrian had asked Turner while he was in America to investigate more on Ashleigh's background and since then he had not heard anything about it.

"Sir we tried contacting the orphanage where she was raised in, and we got to know that the only information they had about her was given by the person who dropped her there" he reported, moving to give him the tablet where the details where held.

"The caretakers in charge said they had no idea of who the person was, as they were just employed seven years ago, the older caretakers have retired to live in the a hidden old age home funded by the organization funding the orphanage" Adrian scrolled through the information puzzled.

The orphanage should at least have information on the people who drop children in the orphanage home matter how small, the current people employed have only limited information about her while the ones who do have gone into retirement.

"We were able to cajole them to going through the old archives of information which they spent days doing until this past week where they found a DNA test result from their records..... Her ancestry is 95% Italian" he stated, making Adrian freeze for a moment. Looking at the test results he saw the words in bold: ITALIAN.

"Not only that sir, Her blood type has been tested to be one of the rarest types, but the records on her blood type has been stashed away by the senior caretaker. We made the journey to find the caretaker who had the blood type information and she told us the full story"

"She said they had met a man outside the orphanage home at the time who was severely injured, but clutching a baby wrapped in a shawl tightly, she was only a few days old. He refused in letting any of them touch the baby so they let him in to tend to his wounds, for the next few days they struggled communicating with him as he spoke only Italian but they were able to contact a translator. He said that his last mission was to ensure that the child was safe, he handed them over to them and told them to give her a name; only telling her date of birth. He told them not to tell a soul of the event of the days and then he left despite their pleading to stay a few more days. She said they later received news of his death" Adrian was deep in thought at this point, the identity of this Ashleigh seemed to be a bit troublesome.

"Did she tell you the name of the man?" He spoke up after a while.

"Lumiere was his name sir" he replied, leaving him deep in thought. He seemed to have heard of that name but recall when exactly. He needed to find out more about this name, and where her blood can be traced to. Reaching for his phone, he called his uncle.

"I'm sorry for calling this late but I'm working on something and I need to make some enquiries" he stated.

"No problem Adrian, what can I assist you with?"

"Have you heard of the name Lumiere?" his uncle remained silent for a while on the phone. Pulling himself together, he quickly asked.

"Why do you ask?" He questioned silently, his voice somewhat reluctant. Adrian's curiosity was heightened, his mind running in circles to try and put the pieces together.

"Son, Lumiere is the late steward of the Rossi family" his uncle mentioned and mind instantly clicked. He remembered he was five years old visiting his grandfather one Christmas when the news came of the murder of Lumiere, the head steward of the Rossi family. He recalled vividly as his grandfather shooed him away from the study to receive those guests but he still stubbornly placed his eyes through the peephole and listened closely.

"The story of the Rossi family was probably the most tragic one, they were one of the most affluent families in Italy until the only daughter fell in love with the son a mafia crew. This broke out a cold war between the two families and they were soon eliminated, leaving only Lumiere and the new-born with the mafia on their heels. It was later reported that the both were found and killed abroad. All this happened when you were still a child so you won't have any knowledge on this" he detailed, leaving Adrian speechless.

The Ashleigh Hartman, the girl in America currently cleaning a floor of his building maybe the heiress to the Rossi family that was declared dead for over twenty years now.

"What happened after that uncle?"

"Well, the Rossi family businesses and estate was been handed over to a management firm who they closely worked with and the deeds of ownership has been placed in their care. Her mafia father had tried claiming the business a few times under the rights of marriage but was unsuccessful at each attempt" he concluded, and Adrian thanked him and bade him goodnight. He then gave an order to his secretary to contact his private lawyer, as this matter will be taken carefully.

NOW

He currently sat facing Ashleigh as the lawyer read the terms of the marriage contract loudly: "This Marriage Contract (the "Agreement") is made and entered into as of the [Date] by and between [Mr. Adrian Cagliari] , the first party, and [Miss Ashleigh Hartman] the second party." "WHEREAS, the First Party desires to marry the Second Party, and the Second Party desires to marry the First Party; and WHEREAS, the parties desire to enter into a binding agreement to govern their marriage, including the terms of their financial arrangement and the division of their assets in the event of divorce" "NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein, the parties agree as follows:

1. Marriage: The parties agree to marry each other on xx day, xx month, xx year

2. Financial Arrangement. During the marriage, the parties shall maintain separate financial accounts and shall be solely responsible for their own debts and obligations. However, the first party has takes on complete responsibility of the following expenses: • Housing • Utilities • Food • Household expenses • Academic expenses • Childcare expenses (if applicable)

3.. Division of Assets. In the event of divorce, the parties agree to divide their assets as follows: • Each party shall retain all property that they owned prior to the marriage. • All property acquired during the marriage shall be divided equally between the parties.

4. Premarital Agreement. The parties acknowledge that they have entered into a "Premarital Agreement", which shall govern the division of their assets in the event of divorce. The parties agree that the terms of the Premarital Agreement shall supersede any conflicting terms of this Agreement.

5. Amendment. This agreement may be amended only by a writing signed by both parties.

6. Severability. This agreement will be deemed severable under the conditions of infidelity.

7. Entire Agreement. This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous communications, representations, or agreements, whether oral or written.

8. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state.

9. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above." [Signature] [Party 1 Name] [Signature] [Party 2 Name]

he finished, placing a pen in front of her. Ashleigh held the pen, looking at her aunt who nodded affirmatively and turned to examine Mr Cagliari who was watching her.

"You promise to tell me about my birth parents?" she asked once more, and he nodded calmly.

She then picked up the pen and signed on the dotted lines, handing over to her aunt to sign as well. The lawyer then passed the papers to Adrian who signed as well and he signed as a witness.

"So in the presence of both witnesses, I declare Ashleigh and Adrian Cagliari husband and wife. Congratulations to both of you" he announced as they all stood up and began shaking hands.

In all this Ashleigh stood helplessly, looking at her aunt who smiled at Adrian warmly like he isn't the bad guy here. She has finally given in and married this man so she can find out about her parents, it sounds somewhat pathetic that she has to sell her rights away to know who her father and mother is.

"Mrs. Cagliari" Adrian drawled, strolling lazily to stand by her side. He looked at her sad face and held her chin to face him.

"Call me Adrian" he whispered in a smoky tone, his eyes gripping her soul. Ashleigh had not imagined that she would ever stand at a 6 feet distance to this man, but she is now staring at this man up close. She pushed him away and stepped back, withe everything that happened in the past hour she needed time to let it soak in.

"If we are done here, I will be taking my leave" she put out, leaving the office immediately with a loud bang on the door.

Mrs Smith pleaded for Mr Cagliari not to be annoyed at her, he just laughed dismissingly.

"Aunt, there's no need to worry. Just inform Ashleigh that we will be going for the marriage certificate tomorrow morning and from there we will discuss living arrangements" she thanked him and turned to leave the office as well.

Adrian stood for a while staring at the door before returning to his work. Ashleigh went back to her assigned work space to continue from where she stopped. This time her break was over at this time but with what just happened, she had no appetite to eat. Grabbing the cleaning equipment from the store room, she trudged to the empty offices and began cleaning the offices.

She was angry, upset and had a million things on her mind so she chose to focus all that chaotic energy into her work, at least she will finish fast and be able to clock out earlier. She went about her work quietly; not noticing someone entering the office and walking up to her.