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Chapter 118: Heightened stakes
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The Wife Swap Chapter 119: Resolution
Ashley’s povI took a deep breath, steadying myself. “You’re right. I don’t know the business like Andreas does,” I admitted, trying to strike the balance between honesty and confidence. “But that’s exactly why I’m here.”Veronica raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for an explanation.“Andreas did collapse earlier, although I believe it’s just a stress issue and he needs rest” I continued, choosing my words carefully. “And yes, he wanted to be here more than anything. But the truth is, he’s been pushing himself to the limit for this gala, like everything else that he does. Not just because it’s important to the company, but because it’s important to him—personally. He’s been working himself to the point of exhaustion, and as much as I know he’d drag himself out of bed to meet you if he could, I didn’t want that. As his wife, I could not bear to see him do that when I could come here myself.”Veronica’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t interrupt. She was listening.“I wanted to be the one
The Wife Swap Chapter 120: The weight of consequences
Andreas’ POVThe moment the door clicked shut behind Ashley, I turned to my secretary, already thinking ahead. "Go downstairs and find the COO," I instructed, my voice steady despite the tightness in my chest. "Tell him what’s happened with Veronica, that I’m working on it and to stay on standby. Nothing about my health." The words came out quicker than usual as I tried to steady my breathing.She hesitated, glancing at me with concern. "And the vote of thanks, Mr. Thorne? You were supposed to give it."I ran a hand through my hair, fighting back the irritation bubbling beneath the surface. It wasn’t her fault that I had collapsed. "Tell him to take it if I’m not able to come down," I replied, running a hand through my hair as my doctor examined me.Nodding, she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. As soon as she was gone, the silence crept in, thick and heavy. I let out a long breath, leaning back into the bed as the tension in my body reminded me of why I was here in t
The Wife Swap Chapter 121: Little lies
Ashley’s POVAs I hurried through the hallway, my heels clicking against the marble floor, relief washed over me. Veronica had agreed not to pull out of the gala. I couldn’t wait to get back to Andreas and share the good news. We had done it, or rather—I had done it. I had managed to hold my own against Veronica Hastings. The thought made me feel stronger than I had in weeks. I wondered what Ashton would think if she had seen me today. Would she be proud of me for holding my own, for standing strong like she always taught me when we were younger?Just as I rounded the corner, my pace quickened, but then I saw him—Adam. He looked like he was heading somewhere but paused at the sight of me and leaned casually against the wall, that ever-present smirk playing on his lips. I immediately straightened, slowing my steps, doing my best to mask the adrenaline and excitement coursing through me moments before.“Adam,” I greeted, forcing my voice to stay light, though my stomach twisted in discom
The Wife Swap Chapter 122: The unsaid
Ashley’s POVAs I approached the room where Andreas was recovering, my heart raced with anticipation. I punched in the code, hearing the faint beep as the door unlocked, and stepped inside, eager to share the good news about Veronica. But as soon as I entered, my breath caught in my throat—the bed was empty. My pulse quickened in panic. Where was he?My eyes darted around the room, and just as I was about to rush out and find someone, I noticed his suit jacket and tie lying haphazardly across the bed. That stopped me in my tracks. My eyes lingered on them for a moment, and just then, the door to the bathroom creaked open, and Andreas stepped out.I swallowed hard, my breath catching again—but this time, for a different reason.Andreas stood there, his usually perfectly gelled hair now a tousled mess. His face looked freshly washed, droplets of water still clinging to his skin. But it wasn’t just his face that caught my attention—it was his shirt. It hung open, revealing the chiseled mu
The Wife Swap Chapter 123: In the moment
Ashley’s POVFor a moment, Andreas just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile—a real smile, the kind that made his eyes light up."You did it," he said softly, almost to himself. "You actually did it."I nodded, feeling the weight of the moment finally lifting from my shoulders. “So, you don’t have to worry about Veronica pulling out of the gala,” I said, my words rushing out as the relief of the situation started to settle in. “But you’ll still need to reach out to her secretary to schedule a time to meet, you know, formally discuss everything.”I kept talking, rambling on about the logistics, trying to focus on anything but the way my heart has started to race thanks to Andreas’ undivided attention on me. My thoughts were still running a mile a minute when, suddenly, Andreas closed the distance between us in one swift movement. I froze, my breath catching as his arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a tight hug. His warm
The Wife Swap Chapter 124: The constant act
Ashley’s POVThe highlight of the gala had to be the look on Adam’s face when Andreas and I returned to the party. His usual smugness was nowhere to be found. Instead, his mouth pressed into a thin line, his nostrils flaring slightly as he turned away from the group he had been chatting with. He cut a quick glance at Veronica, who caught sight of Andreas and me approaching. She offered a warm smile, her eyes brightening with interest as she moved to greet us."Good to see you, Andreas," Veronica said smoothly, her voice low as though sharing a secret. "I hope you're feeling better now?" The inquiry about his health was subtle, and I appreciated her discretion.Andreas, ever the master of composed indifference, gave her a small smile and a curt nod. "Much better, thank you for asking and for agreeing to give us an audience," he said, though I noticed the brief flicker in his eyes, the faint tightening of his jaw as though holding back the weariness threatening to creep in.Veronica’s s
The Wife Swap Chapter 125: Unspoken goodbyes
Ashley’s POVLeaving the table with a polite excuse—something about needing to say goodbye to Faye—was more of a necessity than a desire. Thomas's lingering stares had grown unbearable, each glance from him feeling like a weight pressing down on me, reminding me of his words the last time we’d been in the presence of each other. The moment I stood, I could feel his eyes on my back, and I wondered how he didn’t even care that his wife was right beside him while he was making those not so subtle glances at me. I had to get away, at least for a moment.Faye, bless her, didn’t question my sudden appearance by her side. She simply smiled, her eyes twinkling with something knowing, and leaned in close to whisper, “I’m going to introduce you to a few people. They were…friends with Ashton.”The word friends felt strange. I knew Ashton would have friends, she was the popular twin after all but besides Faye, I hadn’t been expecting to meet any of them. I followed Faye’s lead, smiling and noddi
The Wife Swap Chapter 126: Whispers of the past
Ashley’s POVI didn’t even realize when I drifted off, but the shrill sound of my alarm snapped me awake. My phone screen flashed, reminding me of today—my friendship anniversary with Liv. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. The one constant in my life, even through all this madness, had been Liv. I quickly typed out a message, "Happy friendship anniversary, babes. Do you have time? Should we meet for lunch?" and hit send.Sitting up, I felt an odd sense of urgency, like today was different. Maybe it was because it might be my last day here—my last day pretending to be someone I wasn’t, and my last day in this mansion that was both beautiful and suffocating. I headed to the bathroom, deciding to take extra care getting ready. My reflection stared back at me, and for a moment, I hardly recognized the woman in the mirror. I looked very different from the woman that had first come into the mansion; timid, unsure and worried about her eccentric sister. I looked different, but
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