It had been two days since all the drama with his boss — Dmitri. That night Dmitri had insisted pack immediately and move to his mansion–a demand that completely suprised him. Ash had completely forgotten that he wouldn't be staying in the building any longer. It took hours of negotiation and a bit of pleading to convince Dmitri to give him a few extra days.
Flashback...
"Boss, I can't just leave…" Ash said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
Dmitri leaning against the wall and looking around the room,raised an eyebrow.
"It's not like you have that much stuff to take"
Ash huffed ."It's not all about packing stuff," He rubbed his forehead, muttering to himself, " Huhh why are you so stubborn?"
Dmitri's voice cut through, calm and firm "Two days. And that's it "
Ash lifted his head. Their eyes met — Dmitri's sharp emerald ones locking on his calm blue ones. Dmitri bit his lower lip, and a faint blush crept onto his cheeks as a thought flashed through his mind:
Why is he so hot when he looks angry?
Clearing his throat, Dmitri added,
"After two days, if you're not done with whatever you need to do, I won't care."
Hearing that, Ash let out a small relieved smile.
"So you're not that stubborn."
Dmitri froze for half a second. That tiny smile… he felt something in his chest tightened.
If I don't leave now, I might pounce on this guy, Dmitri complained silently to himself as he moved toward the door.
He reached for the handle when Ash's voice stopped him.
"Thank you, boss," Ash said quietly, bowing his head.
He was sincerely grateful–atleast Victor would be free his debt. Ash didn't expect Dmitri to respond, so he slowly lifted his head...
But the moment he did, he felt warm lips pressed against his cheek. He froze. He didn't even know when Dmitri moved–one second he was at the door ,and the next he was standing right infront of him. The unexpected kiss sent a small shiver down Ash's body.
Prying his lips from Ash's cheek, Dmitri leaned in close and whispered in his ear "Anything for you"
Ash felt another soft shiver run through him.
Dmitri pulled back with that usual smile of his and said " Goodnight, Ashley "
And with that he finally left the room.
Present...
Ash was still packing his things when he heard Emil's voice from outside.
It didn't even take ten seconds before Emil burst into the room.
"Hey, Ash," Emil said, leaning against the door frame.
"Hey," Ash replied simply, still focused on arranging his things into his bag.
"I still can't believe you're leaving me here…" Emil complained with an exaggerated sigh.
Ash kept folding a shirt and said, "Blame yourself. I just followed your advice."
Emil pouted dramatically. " Huhh whatever " he pointed his thumb toward the window "But was the car really necessary?"
He was clearly referring to the sleek black Rolls-Royce parked in front of the building which crating alot of attention.
Ash zipped his bag shut, turned to him, and massaged his forehead a little.
"I told him not to. But he insisted on sending someone to pick me up."
Emil raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Huh… so much for just being a bodyguard."
They talked for a few more minutes—a few jokes, and Emil pretending to be emotionally wounded—before Ash finally headed out to the waiting car, beginning his journey to the Mikhailovich mansion.
**************
Evan was free today, so he decided to visit Dmitri — at his house.
He jumped into his car and started the engine.
Since the day Dmitri dragged him out for a walk, they hadn't really hung out properly.
They still called each other, but lately every conversation slowly drifted back to that guy.
The guy Dmitri kept insisting was just a member of the mafia.
From all the back-and-forth conversations, Evan eventually learned his name: Ashley.
And every time he heard that name, something in Evan tightened.
Annoyance? Irritation? Jealousy?
He didn't even know the right word — but whatever it was, he hated it.
Dmitri talked about that guy way too much.
He wasn't just interested; he was close to obsessed, and it drove Evan crazy.
But he never showed it. Not to Dmitri.
Whenever Dmitri talked about him, Evan always stayed quiet, listening like the "good friend" he was supposed to be… even if it made his chest burn.
A few minutes later, Evan's car turned into the long driveway leading to the mansion.
Since he was a regular visitor, the guards let him through without a problem.
The tall iron gates opened, and the huge Mikhailovich mansion rose in front of him, cold and intimidating as always.
He parked the car, stepped out, and let out a slow breath.
Reaching the front door, Evan rang the bell and was greeted by a maid, who gave him a polite bow.
"Is Sir Dmitri at home?" he asked, since he hadn't informed Dmitri of his visit.
The maid nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll show you the way."
Evan smiled at her, and the maid's cheeks tinged pink. They moved up the stairs together, walking along the long corridor. Soon, Dmitri's voice could be heard coming from one of the rooms.
Evan glanced at the maid questioningly. She whispered, "Sir Dmitri is a little busy… he's arranging a room for someone who's arriving."
When they reached the room, the maid gave a small bow and left Evan at the door. Just as he reached for the handle, another maid appeared carrying a stack of bedsheets.
"Sorry, sir," she apologized, moving past him carefully.
Evan entered and found Dmitri sitting in a chair, wearing only a bathrobe with his hair down a littlebit messy, unaware that Evan had arrived. Around them, other maids were fixing blinds, making the bed, and tidying the room.
Evan moved closer and leaned his head toward Dmitri's neck. "Hey," he murmured.
Dmitri jolted, a faint blush spreading across his lips. "Evan, you know am very sensitive on my neck" he whispered, hugging him around the neck.
Evan chuckled softly, teasing, "Hey, be careful… you'll fall." Dmitri released him with a small sigh.
"Want to go out for a drink?" Evan asked.
Dmitri shook his head, "Not today… I'm busy."
"Is whatever you're doing more important than me?" Evan asked looking at Dmitri.
Before Dmitri could respond, the maid who had escorted Evan earlier appeared again. "Sir Dmitri, the person you've been waiting for has arrived."
Dmitri didn't waste a second. He sprang from the chair and hurried down the stairs. At the bottom, he met Ash and gave him the brightest, warmest smile as he stood before him.
"Good morning, boss," Ash said, bowing slightly.
"Morning, Ashley," Dmitri replied, his smile unshakable.
From the balcony, Evan watched the interaction silently, his gaze narrowing slightly. He didn't like it at all. But when his eyes shifted, they landed on Nik, who was also watching intently, his expression unreadable.