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Chapter 134: The weight of secrets
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The Wife Swap Chapter 135: New Terms
Ashley’s POV"Don’t you see?" Alfred pressed, leaning forward with a gleam in his eyes. His tone was almost triumphant, like he’d won some invisible battle. "If you leave now, if you let this unravel, it won’t just be you who suffers. It will be Andreas, the family, the company. Everything we’ve worked so hard to maintain will fall apart if the truth gets out now, especially without knowing if Ashton is dead or alive. Your role, Ashley, is crucial. You've done a remarkable job keeping things together, and to walk away now would be irresponsible. Reckless, even."I clenched my jaw, every muscle in my body tense as I glared at him. "So, what you’re saying," I said slowly, my voice low and controlled, "is that you want me to keep lying. Keep pretending to be my sister even though she might still be out there somewhere.""Yes," Alfred said bluntly, not even bothering to soften the blow. His eyes met mine without flinching, as if daring me to defy him. "For the sake of the family. For the
The Wife Swap Chapter 136: The confrontation
Ashley’s POVThe car ride had been silent, the kind of silence that felt too thick to break. I stared out the window, watching the blur of city lights, my mind racing through everything that had happened in the last hour. I could feel Andreas’s eyes on me occasionally, like he was waiting for me to say something, to shout, to accuse, to do anything—but I didn’t. I was too angry, too hurt, and too tired to unravel the mess we were in.By the time we pulled up to the house, I felt like a tight coil ready to snap. I got out of the car without a word, but just before I reached the front door, I stopped. I couldn’t go inside, couldn’t pretend everything was fine until I had more answers. My hand was on the doorknob when I turned back to face him, my voice flat and cold.“What exactly did the private investigator tell you, Andreas? What made you think Ashton might still be alive?”He looked startled by my directness, as if he had expected me to wait until tomorrow, or the day after that, or
The Wife Swap Chapter 137: A twisted game
Ashley’s POVHe nodded and pulled out his phone, scrolling through it with shaking fingers. A moment later, he held it out to me, the screen showing a grainy black-and-white image of a woman standing in the shadows outside a run-down hotel. It was hard to make out her features, but there was something unmistakably familiar about her—something that made my breath hitch in my throat. I couldn’t tell if it was really Ashton, or if it was just my mind playing tricks on me because I wanted it to be her.“That’s the only image we have,” Andreas said quietly. “The investigator’s still looking for more leads, but it’s like she vanished after this. No records, no sightings, nothing.”I stared at the screen, my emotions a tangled, aching mess. I didn’t know what to think, what to feel. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted it to be Ashton, because if it was… if it was, then everything I thought I knew was a lie, and I didn’t know if I was strong enough to handle that.I could feel the room tilting, th
The Wife Swap Chapter 138: A woman on a mission
Ashley’s POV“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper now, trembling with the weight of it all. “Why did you keep this from me?”“I didn’t know what to do,” he said again, and this time his voice cracked, raw and exposed. “I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to think that she could have done something like this, and I didn’t want to hurt you with something that might not even be true. I was hoping… I was hoping that I was wrong, that she was just another victim of the crash, that there was some other explanation.”“You were hoping I’d just keep playing along, that I’d never find out,” I said bitterly, the words lashing out before I could stop them. I saw him flinch, and a part of me felt satisfaction at the pain in his eyes, even as another part of me hated myself for feeling that way.“It wasn’t like that,” he said softly, desperately, and I could hear the truth in his voice, the rawness of his emotions, but I didn’t know if I could believe him anymo
The Wife Swap Chapter 139: Honesty is just another complication
Andreas’s POVHours earlierAs I pushed open the café doors, a familiar mix of dread and resignation settled over me. The place was immaculate, an embodiment of my father, Alfred’s tastes: crisp white linens, muted tones, and a kind of hushed elegance that was unmistakably his. He sat at his usual spot in the corner, stirring an espresso, a slight, approving smile appearing on his face as he gestured for me to join him.As I sat, he started talking about the gala, surprisingly giving it a warm review, though he still added a few of his usual critiques. I nodded along, barely listening, just waiting for the right moment, though I wasn’t even sure what that looked like. Finally, he asked about the anniversary plans.A lifeline. I seized it, my heart pounding as the words stumbled out. “Actually, Dad, there’s…something you need to know. About Ashton.”His gaze sharpened, and I could see the careful lines of interest and suspicion forming in his expression. “Something I need to know?”I l
The Wife Swap Chapter 140: In the Shadow of Expectations
Andreas’s POV “And if Ashley doesn’t…fall in line with whatever you decide?”I flinched, remembering the promise I’d made to her—the promise to let her go if that was what she wanted. I’d held back what the investigator had found, knowing it might tempt her to stay. As much as I wanted her by my side, it couldn’t be under false pretenses.“She doesn’t have to,” I replied, defiance lacing my voice. “If she wants to leave, I’ll respect that.”An eyebrow arched, a shadow of amusement crossing his face. “You’ve grown soft, Andreas. Are you forgetting what’s at stake if anyone gets even a whiff of what you just told me?”“I’m not forgetting,” I said firmly. “But Ashley…she deserves the opportunity to do what’s best for her.”His gaze hardened. “You’re letting sentiment cloud your judgment. You don’t get where I am by indulging emotions.”I fought to hold my ground. “Maybe not. But I’m not willing to turn this into a game of manipulation.”Silence settled over us, thick with tension. His d
The Wife Swap Chapter 141: The sidelines
Ashley’s POVI woke to the first sliver of morning light creeping through the blinds, its pale warmth doing little to shake the lingering exhaustion weighing me down. I was tempted to close my eyes again, pull the blanket over my head, and pretend that everything was fine, that last night’s events hadn’t happened. But it was no use; there was too much to do, too many questions without answers. And the worst of it? The thought of Andreas—how we’d left things, his anguished expression, the edge in his voice… It twisted in my chest like a knife.With a sigh, I grabbed my phone, planning to call Liv and tell her everything about the investigator’s findings and the possibility that Ashton might still be alive. But a message from Thomas lit up the screen instead: I miss you. Let’s meet up. I rolled my eyes, irritation flaring. This was the last thing I needed. I’d had enough of Thomas’s messages, his attempts to stay in Ashton’s life as if he somehow deserved a place here. Ignoring him, I t
The Wife Swap Chapter 142: Messy or complicated
Ashley’s POV“I’m already mixed up in it,” I replied, my voice steady even as my heart hammered. “Look, I want to meet with the investigator. I need to know everything you know, every detail—no matter how messy or complicated.”He sighed, looking down for a moment, his brow furrowing as if he was weighing something heavy in his mind. When he looked up again, his gaze had softened, and he nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Alright,” he said. “We’ll go together.”A rush of relief flooded me, though I was careful not to let it show. I nodded, managing a small smile. “I can live with that.”A faint smile ghosted across his face, and for a moment, the tension between us seemed to ease, leaving something else in its wake—something unspoken yet almost tangible. He released his hold on me, and I took a step back, missing his warmth instantly.Andreas’s hand remained wrapped around mine as we made our way toward the dining table. His grip was warm and steady, and though he didn’t look back, I could
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