C9 I don't need your money

Ashley couldn't help but feel offended when she went through the contract and saw that Liam had offered to pay her a total of thirty million dollars if she agreed to the contract.

She was okay with clauses like they should stay out of each other's personal lives and that they can date someone else but have to be discreet so as to avoid a scandal. What made her not okay was the fact that Liam thought he could buy her with his money.

"I am okay with everything here except for the compensation aspect," she said with a frown on her face.

"I am not surprised; how much do you want me to add to it?" Liam said bitterly, but Ashley just ignored him.

Liam and Isaac were both surprised when she took a pen from her bag and crossed the part out.

"I do not need your money," she said.

"So, you are telling me that you would just marry me without getting anything out of it?" Liam asked.

"Believe what you want, Mr. Abbot, but not everyone is out to get your money, and I surely am not. Besides, I am surely going to get something in return, not just money."

Liam couldn't help but find himself more suspicious of her, and he could tell that even Isaac felt wary of her with her cryptic response.

He decided to dig deeper and asked, "What exactly do you mean by'something in return'?" Her eyes narrowed, and a mysterious smile played on her lips as she replied, "You'll find out soon enough, Mr. Abbot. Patience is a virtue, after all."

As much as he wants to just hope and wait that she wasn't planning anything bad, he couldn't exactly be choosy right now since Mr. Ross thinks that he is in a relationship with Ashley.

He just had to go on with the contract now and face the consequences later. He couldn't afford to jeopardize his reputation or risk losing the business deal with Mr. Ross.

"Well, give me a few minutes to edit the contract and get back to you," Isaac said, breaking the awkward silence.

Isaac couldn't help but sigh in relief as he walked out of Liam's office. Ashley and Liam might be too stubborn to admit or acknowledge it, but he could feel the electricity and chemistry between them.

He could see Liam's bored and cold facade. He was worried about how the whole thing was going to turn out, but he decided to just be a supportive friend.

Isaac knew that this whole contract marriage situation between them had the potential to either strengthen Liam's company or completely destroy it. Reputation matters in the business world, and if anyone finds out about the contract marriage, Isaac doesn't want to think about what would happen.

As a supportive friend, though, he was willing to do whatever it took to ensure their success, even if it meant stepping back and letting them figure things out on their own.

"Come on, Liam, there is no way she doesn't want your money. She is probably just pretending as if she doesn't right now so that she can milk you dry later," Liam said to himself as he stared at her after Isaac left his office.

He had prepared himself to be passive and cold towards her today, but what he was not prepared for was her angelic look. He just couldn't understand how the daughter of someone like Richard Valencia could look so innocent and calm.

As much as he'd love to deny it, something about her draws him in, and he doesn't like that.

"Hmm, hmm," Ashley cleared her throat, distracting Liam from his thought.

Liam was kind of embarrassed that he had been lost in her beauty, but he covered it off with a sigh.

"So, you still haven't told me why you wanted this contract, Mr. Abbot. Please don't tell me that it is because of your reputation or something like that. We both know that you could have just denied the whole thing, and then you wouldn't need to be making this drastic decision," Ashley said, tilting her head as she stared at him with curiosity.

Ashley knew that she shouldn't be asking questions like this, especially since the contract marriage would help her give her father what he wanted without having to be the one to ask.

Liam was about to reply to her when his phone rang.

"Liam Benjamin Abbot! How dare you hide your relationship from me?"His mother screamed into the phone, and immediately he picked up the call.

Liam would like to consider himself a very brave person, but not when it comes to his mom. His mom has always been the strict parent that he was scared of growing up, and his father was the level-headed one.

With his parents contrasting personalities, it is not a surprise that his father was a pediatric surgeon and his mom was a neurosurgeon.

Liam's heart raced as he tried to find the right words to calm his furious mother down. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt about what he was doing. His parents had always told him that love is needed for marriage to work, and he knows that they would be disappointed if they found out that he was having a contractual relationship and not a real one.

"Hello, mom," he said, trying to sound as sweet as possible.

"Don't hello, mom. I have been asking you to bring a girl home for a while now, and you did not even have the decency to let me know that you were in a relationship.

"I am sorry, mom."

"I do not want your apologies; I am expecting you to bring her home in two weeks time for your uncle's birthday." She was sad and dropped the call before Liam could protest.

Ashley couldn't help but be amused at the exchange.

"Sorry, what were we talking about?" Liam asked after dropping his phone on his table.

"I asked you, why contact marriage and not deny the rumors?"

"Because I can do what I want, Miss Valencia, someone decided to play a messy game by creating a false narrative, and I am taking advantage of that narrative. Is there anything wrong with that?" Liam said cockily.

"Alright, I have revised the contract and removed the compensation part. Are you both ready to sign?" Isaac asked as he barged into Liam's office.