Ashley's POV

"I can't believe this happened to us," Madison said, shaking in fear.

She paused, taking the time to blow her nose. She took another tissue to wipe her tears.

The room was a mess, with a few broken vases and the glass table shattered into pieces. Some of the furniture was pushed from its original position, possibly due to the fight.

Among many people, there were police officers in the room. Marcus was there too along with the head of the hotel security team.

Tristan was anxious, pacing the room as we all listened to Madison make her statement.

He seemed fine. The pain in his abdomen was gone, he only had a bleeding nose. There was blood on his hand and his knuckles were red and a bit bruised. Those guys hadn't done much damage to him.

I sat down and leaned on the couch with an ice pack on my head. My head was hurting, but nothing serious had happened to me. The paramedics had already come in and checked on me and I was deemed fine.

"I was just in my suite, busy as always. I called Tristan to come over to my room since we have a project that we are working on together. I had some ideas that I wanted to show him." She paused wiping a tear off her cheek. "That's when I heard the knock on the door. I thought it was Tristan, so I got up to open the door. That's when the three men just barged in. They threatened me and asked me to give them all my jewellery. One of them even tried to force himself on me." She continued to sob.

"Did they take anything, ma'am?" The officer asked after taking some notes in his book.

"No, luckily Tristan got here right on time. They left the door wide open. Tristan saw them in here. One of the guys started attacking Tristan, but he fought back." Madison continued. "He saved me from a dreadful thing that was about to happen. It was horrible. I could still smell that men's horrible stench." Madison cried.

The officer took another note.

"Okay," the officer spoke. That will be it for now. "We'll contact you for more information, and you might have to come into the station for a more formal report and further questioning," the officer informed.

Madison nodded.

"We'll look at the hotel footage as well. We'll inform you about our findings." Another officer spoke.

Madison continued to sob.

"I need you to get to the bottom of this. I want to understand how something like this could have happened. We'll give you everything to use at your disposal for this investigation. Everyone will cooperate as best they can. I'm sure you might be able to get something from the video footage. I'd also like to see the footage myself." Tristan added.

The officers nodded then moved aside as they started speaking to Marcus who was near the door.

Tristan moved from his spot, ready to make his way out of the room.

Madison stood up from the couch, looking more distressed. "Please Tristan, you can't leave me alone. I don't feel safe." Madison cried. She walked over to Tristan and clung to his arm.

It's like I was in preschool all over again.

Tristan sighed, facing her. "Nothing will happen to you, the officers are here to protect you." Tristan tried to assure her.

"I only feel safe with you, you are the only one I can trust to protect me." Madison continued. She rested her head on his arm and she continued clinging to him.

This scene made me nauseous. Maybe it was my fake pregnancy.

The door flew open as a panicked Layla walked into the room. Her eyes roamed around the room until she finally spotted Tristan.

"I heard about what happened," Layla said walking in.

Madison flinched away from Tristan.

Layla walked over to where we were.

In horror, she examined his wounds turning him around to assess the extent of the damage.

"Tristan, are you okay?" Layla exclaimed; she noticed the blood stain on his shirt.

"Don't worry mom, I'm fine," Tristan answered.

"But you are bleeding," Layla said, her voice filled with worry.

Tristan sighed again. "Don't worry, it's not my blood," he answered.

Layla now seemed a bit more relaxed as she took a seat next to me.

"Are you sure that you are okay?" Tristan turned to me.

I nodded forcing a smile. I pressed the ice pack deeper into my skull.

Tristan walked away to the kitchen. He came back holding a cold glass of water which he then handed to his mother to drink, hoping it would calm her.

"Please excuse me, I have to speak to the officers," Tristan informed.

He then moved over to where the offices were standing.

Layla took a shot at the water and drank it in one gulp. Within minutes, she appeared calmer.

"So," Layla began, facing Madison. She placed her glass aside.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you. It must have been so traumatic for you." Layla said. I couldn't tell whether she was being sarcastic or not.

"I was completely caught off guard," Madison said, wiping a tear off her cheeks again.

Layla shook her head. "You poor thing. This only happened to you because you couldn't afford a house. Thank God for the generosity of people like my son that you even have a roof over your head. I mean, why else would you choose to stay in a hotel for so long?" Layla replied.

"I happen to like it here," Madison answered. Her waterworks finally stopped.

"Besides," Layla continued. "I still don't understand why someone would want to rob you. Frankly, there are wealthier people in this hotel. Surely, if you had any money, you wouldn't be clinging onto my son like a leech."

"I don't know what you are implying but you are not about to sit here and insult me," Madison said, growing more defensive with each word.

"What was my son doing here anyways when this happened?" Layla asked.

"I wanted to show him some ideas I have for our project." She answered.

Layla chuckled. "You know, I'd love to see those ideas too, you know as the wife of one of the top businessmen in this city, I can give you some pointers," Layla said crossing her leg.

Madison's mood shifted as she suddenly became more serious.

I don't think she had any ideas that she wanted to show Tristan. It was all a trap.

"So what? You're finally bored of shopping?" Madison mocked. "Even your husband knows that's the only thing you're good at."

This conversation was getting a bit heated. I pretended not to listen as the two of them glared at each other.

"Maybe I could give you some pointers on fashion too. You could take a pig and wrap it in a curtain. It would still look better than you." Layla retorted.

Madison was about to say something when Tristan returned. He had both hands on his hips.

Even he could sense the uncomfortable tension between them.

Layla smiled, turning her attention to Tristan. "You know son," Layla said, getting Tristan's attention. "I was thinking maybe you should move back home with me. I no longer think that this place is safe enough for you to stay and I'd really love for you to be home for my own peace of mind." Layla spoke, her voice trembling.

Madison was not happy about it at all.

"Mom, that's the last thing I need right now." Tristan paused. "We host some of the biggest celebrities and personalities. How else are people supposed to come here if they don't even feel safe? By leaving I'd only be making the situation worse. I can only hope that this thing never gets out." He spoke.

Madison chuckled and then quickly masked it with one of her fake tears before Tristan could notice.

"I'm still shaken up by the whole experience. I don't know what I'm going to do, I don't think I'll ever be able to see this place the same way again." Madison spoke, her voice sounding like she was on the brink of tears.

"Well maybe after this experience, you can finally get a real house to stay in. Preferably somewhere really far from here." Layla spoke.

"Mom," Tristan warned.

His mother probably seemed insensitive after the ordeal Madison had just suffered.

"I'm just saying," Layla shrugged. Her face brightened as she came up with an idea. "Besides, you can always move in with me Madison. My house is very big, and I'll make sure to keep you safe. We also have a very big security team," Layla added.

I wonder how long the two of them could stay together till the police came to collect someone, one of them probably in a body bag.

Madison looked at Layla horrified. She then turned to Tristan for assistance, who seemed uninterested in helping at all.

Layla really wanted Madison to be as far away from Tristan as possible

"I heard they hit your head really hard," Layla said. She turned her attention to me. "Tristan, I think it's your job as an employer to make sure that your employees are safe and well-taken care of. I'll take her somewhere to rest." She turned to Tristan.

"You can take her to my penthouse mother, I'm sure she will be comfortable there." Tristan offered.

Madison couldn't seem more displeased. "So, I see you are already well-informed about everything that happened," Madison replied, faking a smile at Layla.

"Sweetheart, I'm always informed. I know everything." Layla laughed. Layla returned her attention to me as she stoked my hair. "I will put this poor girl to rest." Layla smiled.

Tristan pulled me aside, away from the two of them. I could feel Madison's glare on me throughout.

"Are you sure you are alright?" Tristan asked. He took my hands into his.

I responded with a nod.

He sighed. "If my mother starts acting crazy or does anything that you don't like, just call me and I'll be there to save you," Tristan whispered. "Also, keep your phone close by and call if you need anything. I'll be there later to see how you're doing," he added.

"I'm sure I'll be just fine," I answered with a smile.

Layla walked over to me, pulling me from Tristan. "Come, we should go. You shouldn't be on your feet for so long after what happened to you." She spoke.

She clasped my arm and led us out of the suite.

I could still feel Madison's glare on me the whole time. She was probably getting suspicious. We took an elevator to Tristan's penthouse. We waited to speak till we had settled into his suite.

"Do you need anything, something to eat, drink or anything at all?" Layla rambled.

"I'm okay, my hit wasn't severe," I answered.

She sat me down on the couch, putting a blanket over me. I wondered why she was becoming so overprotective.

"You should still be careful; they could have killed you. If I hadn't asked you to play along with this plan, Madison wouldn't have been so desperate." She spoke. "That witch took things too far this time, now she is going to have to face my wrath." Layla continued.

She paced the room impatiently.

Madison was a bad person and probably mentally unstable as well. However, I didn't want to automatically rule out the possibility that someone hadn't actually planned an attack on her. She could very well be a victim for all we know.

But then again, when did bad things ever happen to bad people?

"Do you really think she planned this whole thing? She looked really distorted. You should have been there, it was horrible." I asked.

Layla looked at me in disbelief. I probably looked like a lost cause to her. "Of course, she didn't do it, because I paid those guys to pretend to rob her and beat up my son just so I can convince you to continue working with me." She answered sarcastically.

Was that really sarcastic?

If I hadn't suffered a concussion, I'm sure Layla herself would have slapped me over the head to knock some sense into me.

It was still difficult to believe that someone would think of staging something as horrible. I knew Madison was only motivated by money, but could she do something that terrible? What if I hadn't shown up? How far would those guys have gotten?

Layla could read my unbelieving expression.

"Of course, she staged the whole thing just to get Tristan's sympathy. She is even more dangerous than I thought. People like her have no limits at all. She went too far when she decided to mess with my son." Layla spoke. "Did you see the way her gold-digging hands were clinging onto my son? This whole thing is clearly just part of her plan." She continued.

"Maybe that's why she asked me if Tristan would be around, she wanted to set a trap," I said.

"And you told her?" Layla exclaimed. "The next time she asks you something and you think of telling her the truth, tell her the opposite." Layla sat down next to me. She held my hands in hers as she made eye contact. "You see, this is why I can't afford you to back out on me right now. You and I need to work together." She spoke.

She stopped talking as we heard the doorknob turning.

A man walked in. It was the same man who carried Tristan here to his penthouse on the night that all this madness began.

He froze, looking at both Layla and I hesitantly.

"Uh-oh," I heard him mutter.

He then turned around, ready to make his way out again.

"Luke, stop right there," Layla demanded.

He turned around hesitantly.

"I'm just here to get a document for Tristan," Luke answered.

Layla glared at him and she eyed him to obedience. "I need you to tell me what they have found so far about the investigation. I know Tristan tells you everything," Layla said.

"I don't know much, we are still investigating this whole thing." He replied.

Layla wasn't backing down as she continued to eye him.

He sighed. "It's something really strange. We still don't understand how this could have happened. Apparently, some woman, a guest who was booked at the hotel told security that she had three men here to deliver some things. They arrived here, checked into the woman's hotel room then changed into other clothes. It happened to be on the same floor." He paused. "We found the clothes they were wearing in the trash can. Just as the incident occurred, the woman just vanished. Now it turns out her ID could have been fake too. We don't know how this could have happened. The cameras didn't get that much, and the men seemed smart enough to hide their faces behind their caps. It's like they knew exactly where the cameras were. We only managed to get descriptions from the security guards. I guess when they walked out, they managed to blend in with the other guests." He explained.

"You think that this could have been an inside job?" Layla asked.

"Maybe, but the whole thing is just suspicious." He answered. "We were only able to get a picture of the woman." He searched through his phone and then handed it to Layla. "You should be careful, we have a security team right outside for you." He warned.

Something about the woman seemed too familiar. I knew I had seen her before. That's when my mind finally registered.

"I've seen her before, with Madison. They were here together on the first day that Madison arrived." I said.

Sure, her dark hair had been exchanged for a blond wig and her original eye colour was exchanged for contact lenses, but I could still recognize her. In most of the photos, she always wore sunglasses.

"Would you look at that," Layla responded.

"Are you sure?" Luke asked.

"Yes," I answered with a nod.

"Well, thanks Ashley, we'll have the police look into it." He spoke. I handed his phone back to him.

He then excused himself and made his way out of the suite.

He knew my name.

"Hopefully, they will catch on to her lies and throw her in prison." Layla laughed. "Hopefully I won't have to do anything to get rid of her."

I spent the rest of my day with Layla. She worked through her plan right to the last detail. She didn't seem too keen on allowing the officers to do their job nor hope that Madison would get caught in the process.

Most of the time, we talked, laughed, and ate. Layla ordered an entire banquet for the two of us.

Time flew by before we even realized it.

"I hope my mom wasn't giving you any trouble." Tristan interrupted.

"Not at all," I answered with a smile as Layla and I both turned to face him.

We had just finished doing each other's toenails which were now dry.

"Some people actually appreciate me, you know," Layla replied. She stood up to gather her things.

"Anyways, I see I better get moving." She added.

She collected her handbag on the side of the couch.

"Don't be safe kids," she added with a wink. She waved goodbye as she walked out of the penthouse.

"That was a joke," Tristan said pointing at the door once he had heard it shut. "I promise you, the day she finds out we are having a baby, she is going to get inside your house through the window in the middle of the night and watch you in your sleep." He joked.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"So, how is Madison?" I asked trying to be more serious.

Tristan sighed. "They had to give her some pills to get her to sleep. She seemed too devastated that her assistant could have planned the whole thing. I guess that explains why the thieves could have known she had some valuable jewellery." Tristan explained.

Layla was right, Madison was a lot smarter than we thought.

"Besides, I heard her mother was coming over so she wouldn't be alone. I really don't want to talk about her." He added.

With that being said, at least I knew that Tristan would safely be away from Madison, at least for now.

I turned to look at the time. "I think I should also get going," I said.

It was around the time my shift ended. I had the best job in the world. I got paid for doing nothing.

"No," Tristan interrupted me as I was about to leave.

He took me by surprise as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his arms.

My breathing increased and so did my heart rate. I just hope he couldn't feel how fast my heart was beating.

"Why don't you stay with me for a little bit, I'll drive you home." He suggested. "I want to know how you are doing?" He asked.

I took a deep breath to help me calm down, just so he couldn't see how nervous he was making me.

"I told you already, I'm fine. Besides, your mother took really good care of me." I smiled.

He sighed before pulling me into a hug.

"You know, I nearly died today after the way that guy just shoved you aside. The thought that something could have happened to you and our baby completely frightened me." He spoke. His voice almost sounded like a whisper.

My eyes filled with tears as I became overwhelmed by emotion. He cared so much about me yet I was just lying to him.

"I'm really sorry," I whispered to Tristan. A tear rolled down my cheek. I tried to choke back the rest of my tears. He really didn't deserve this. I knew I was apologizing for all my lies.

"No," Tristan answered as he hugged me even tighter. "I should have done my best to protect you." He spoke.

I pulled away from our hug to face him. "Promise me you won't do anything like that again, that you will be more careful." I sobbed.

He stroked my cheek, wiping my tears away.

"I promise," he answered back with a smile.

He leaned in as he captured my lips with his. Everything felt perfect

Deep down I hoped that everything would turn out just fine.

****

I woke up with Tristan sleeping beside me. I felt his breath lightly brush against my skin.

I groaned, shifting in bed as I saw how peaceful he looked in his sleep.

All my clothes were still on. That had to be a good sign.

I reached my head out for my phone, resting on the nightstand.

"Oh no," I muttered.

It was six a.m.

I had sixty-nine missed calls from my mother.

That's when the thought registered. I didn't sleep at home last night. Mom was surely going to kill me.

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading, please comment down your thoughts on the story.