Chapter 103: Tomorrow

Andreas’s POV

The truth was, I didn’t know how much I’d be able to tell my father. This whole situation had spiraled so far beyond what I’d ever anticipated. I was prepared to face the consequences, but I wasn’t ready to drag Ashley into it any deeper than she already was. She’d done enough. More than enough.

The silence stretched between us again, heavy and uncomfortable. I could feel her eyes on me, studying me, but I didn’t look up. I wasn’t sure I could handle what I might see in her eyes right now.

Then she spoke again, her voice soft, almost tentative. “You know, my childhood wasn’t perfect either. I’ve always felt like I was living in someone else’s shadow.”

I glanced at her, surprised by the vulnerability in her tone. She didn’t talk about her past much, not like this. For a moment, I forgot about the weight pressing down on my chest, forgot about everything else except the raw honesty in her words.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my curiosity piqued despite myself.

“Ashton and I