Chapter One
Olivia
L ife does not happen to you by accident . . . at least that is always what I have been told.
Olivia, you were born into this lifestyle for a reason. My father's words ring in my ears as I sit in the master bathroom of my father’s multimillion-dollar mansion, allowing my makeup artist and beautician to fix me up for the gala tonight. My dark chocolate hair is curled loosely, framing my face as it falls. My makeup makes me look like a different person altogether with fake eyelashes sitting above my sky-blue eyes, a pumped nude lip, and rose-pink cheeks.
Honestly, I am shocked I am even being allowed to attend tonight’s event. My father is a dangerous man. I know that much but what I do not know is the line of work he does. He is very private about that part of his life and all I am aware of is it has given me all the things money can buy.
So, rightfully, I never complained. Not that my timid and shy self would anyway.
“You will look beautiful tonight, Miss Ashton.” My Italian beautician says behind me as she finishes spraying down my hair.
I cough when I inhale the spray into my lungs, “Thank you, Bianca.” I smile at her, “I can always count on you to make me feel beautiful.”
She returns a soft smile before I turn to face her assistant as she does my makeup, “You as well, Lucia.” I give her a soft smile as well.
I do not get much interaction from others as my father likes to keep me in the house. He always tells me it’s too dangerous for me to be in the outside world. That I am too much of a liability. I never thought much of it. He is a big businessman, and New York is not necessarily a safe place. Even though we have houses all over the world, Manhattan has been our primary home since I was a little girl. My father visits our other homes often, but I have not been granted permission to leave New York for some time now.
But tonight he has told me to get dressed up in all the beauty that money can buy because he wanted to present me to the world at his gala.
Normally, these events are just for him. What goes on at them, I am not sure, but from hearing him talk on the phone a time or two; I can tell it brings a lot of money into our home.
A knock sounds at the door getting our attention. “Come in.” I give consent to whoever it is on the other side. My housekeeper, Isabella, comes in with my gown for the night.
“This dress is going to make you look like a princess, Miss.” She smiles at me. Isabella basically helped raise me. My father is always gone for work and my mother died giving birth to me, or so I have been told. I never knew her and there are no pictures of her in our home. My father tells me that is a subject he will never discuss with me, so I stopped trying to bring her up a long time ago. Even Isabella will not speak about her to me.
“Thank you.” I give Isabella a soft smile as she hangs my black sequined formal ball gown up in the bathroom. The straps are designed to hang off my shoulders with a v-cut top and a split that comes halfway up my thigh. My father had it designed for me on his own.
I was not involved in any of the decision making. The only information I was given for tonight was it was going to be a masked ball, and I was to wear this gown and meet him at the event at seven sharp. I look at the clock on my phone; I have forty minutes until I am to arrive.
I stand after Bianca finishes spraying my makeup and slip out of my robe, my lacy strapless black bra and thong are the only clothes keeping me covered. I do not mind changing in front of these women; they have all seen me change a million times now.
Isabella changed my diapers when I was a baby and my clothes when I was sick. I am just thankful for the interaction with humans who are not my father or my security—which are all men.
Isabella takes my ball gown off the hanger and unzips it for me to step into. She hands it over to me to pull up my body and I undo my bra once the dress is covering me and drop the bra to the floor. This is the kind of gown you do not need a bra with. Lucia grabs my hair and holds it out to keep the back from mashing it down and lets it flow once Isabella zips me up.
I turn around, facing the giant mirror opposite of the vanity in my bathroom and smile. I wonder if she looked like this. I think to myself. Wondering if I have anything about me that resembles my mother. I dreamed one time I looked just like her.
“Here Miss.” Isabella brings a silver necklace with a single small pearl on the front, and she lifts my hair carefully to clasp it on my neck. “You always look stunning, Miss Ashton.”
I smile back at her grabbing her hands and squeezing them.
Without thinking, I ask, “Do I look like her?”
I regret asking as soon as the words leave my mouth. Bianca and Lucia both step back at my words and their eyes go to the floor, but I notice an emotion in Isabella’s before she says, “Now, lets get your mask. You are going to be late.” And she walks off to grab my mask for the ball tonight completely ignoring my question.
A knock sounds at the door and before I have a chance to say a word, it opens. Maxwell, my head of security comes into the doorframe, dressed in an all-black suit with a small speaker in his ear. “Miss, your father will be expecting you soon. Are we ready to go?”
I huff, feeling like a prisoner in my own home. Unable to ask questions freely or do what I want unless my father approves.
I choke back my emotions and give him a soft smile, “Yes. I was about to head out of my room.”
“We will be waiting for you at the front door.” Maxwell says in a clipped tone and closes the door.
I take a deep breath and turn to Isabella, grabbing my black sequined mask from her and holding it with the clutch she handed me as well.
Thanking the women as I exit the bedroom, I make my way down the grand stairs where five of my bodyguards stand at the door with Maxwell as they wait on me with their hands held in front of their pants.
“Are you all expected to stay with me all night?” I asked unsure what tonight has in store or what my father has planned.
None of the men answer but they all look at Maxwell for approval.
After a moment Maxwell turns towards the door and says, “Only instructions we have been given, Miss Ashton, are to escort you inside and stand at the entrance for the rest of the night.”
I nod, staying silent as they follow me out the front door to our Black Escalade waiting out front with our driver.
As I climb inside, some of the men take the Black Tahoe parked behind the Escalade.
Instantly, I have a feeling that my father is up to something tonight.
I wonder why he is not here to escort me to my first outing.
Tonight, he wants me entering alone.
My nerves are on high alert.
Something seems off.