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Chapter 144: A shared secret
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The Wife Swap Chapter 145: Meeting Ashton
Ashley’s POVI looked down at our hands, still clasped together on the table, his warmth grounding me. The weight of what he’d just shared settled between us, and I found myself at a loss for words. It was as if I was seeing a part of him he’d hidden from the world—a part he’d let me glimpse, if only for this moment.“Thank you,” I murmured, my thumb brushing over his. “For trusting me with this.” I could feel his gaze on me, searching, as though he were gauging my reaction, waiting to see if I’d recoil from the truth. But how could I? Knowing only made him seem more…human. Real. And despite everything, I couldn’t deny the growing protectiveness unfurling in me—a feeling I hadn’t expected, but couldn’t ignore.“What about the watch?” I blurted out, curiosity winning over my hesitation. “What’s it for?”Andreas’s gaze flickered to the watch on his wrist, a sleek, modern piece that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. “It monitors my pulse,” he said, his voice steady but his eyes bet
The Wife Swap Chapter 146: Unearthing the past
Ashley’s POVI searched his eyes, wanting to understand more about the dynamics between him and Ashton but resisting the urge to rush him. A part of me didn’t want to know more, afraid of what else I might learn about Ashton’s choices.Andreas leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair as he collected his thoughts. The café bustled around us, but in our little bubble, the noise faded into a distant hum. “It was during that vulnerable moment,” he began, his voice tinged with a hint of regret, “that Ashton figured out I had some sort of condition. I tried to deflect, to brush it off, but I could see the wheels turning in her mind.”I nodded, holding my breath because I wasn’t certain I might like what came next. “Oh,” I said softly, not sure of what else to sayin that moment.“Over time, we met a few more times casually, because I felt indebted to her, but it became painfully clear that she was very much interested in knowing more about my health,” he admitted, his gaze d
The Wife Swap Chapter 147: A kiss of promises
Ashley’s POVAndreas’s smile deepened, and I could see he’d seen right through me when he squeezed my hand. “Throughout the marriage, Ashton tried her best to get me interested in more,” he continued, his tone soft but distant. “I didn’t blame her, really. We were only supposed to be married for a short time, and I guess she really enjoyed the perks of being married to me and thought she could convince me to extend the timeframe, but we both knew she didn’t care about anything beyond financial security. I never had any illusions about our marriage being for love.” He shrugged, almost wistful. “It was a business arrangement—she could have her lovers, and I could have mine.”He said it so plainly, but the truth behind those words weighed heavily between us. A part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he knew about Thomas, if he was aware that one of the men she’d chosen as a lover was his own brother-in-law. My stomach tightened at the thought. If he knew, would he have cared, or would it
The Wife Swap Chapter 148: Facing the Unknown
Ashley’s POVAs we pulled away from the kiss, the lingering warmth on my lips made it hard to breathe, and for a moment, I was left speechless. Andreas’s eyes held mine with an intensity I wasn’t used to seeing, and for a second, all my thoughts—the doubts, the fears—dissolved into the softness of his gaze.My heart pounded, and though a part of me wanted to reach out, to pull him back to me, I couldn’t shake the creeping uncertainty. The words spilled out before I could catch them. “Andreas… I don’t know if this is a good idea,” I murmured, my voice barely steady. “Maybe we should…maybe it would be better if we kept things professional. Cordial.”But the words felt hollow, like I was trying to convince myself of something I didn’t believe. His expression shifted, and I thought I saw a flicker of hurt before he reached for me again, silencing my doubts with another kiss that made my heart race. He pulled back slowly, his hand resting on my cheek, his thumb brushing gently along my jaw
The Wife Swap Chapter 149: I might have a stalker
Ashley’s POVThe words sent an icy prickle up my spine. Beneath what? And what could they possibly know? My mind jumped to Thomas’s ignored messages from earlier, and a flicker of doubt bloomed, dark and unsettling. Could I really have a stalker, and was it Thomas? I wondered, or could it be someone else entirely? As much as I wanted to brush it off, the photo of a ticket to an opera show that would be holding in the evening and the cryptic code attached to the message made my stomach twist with unease.I glanced at Andreas, who was busy typing out a reply to someone on his own phone, and decided to keep this to myself—for now, at least. I couldn’t burden him with this, not with everything else happening with our search for the truth about what happened to Ashton. The last thing I needed was for him to feel like he was responsible for keeping me safe too.We arrived at the private investigator’s office, and I was thankful for the distraction. It was a modest space—neat, functional, and
The Wife Swap Chapter 150: The prime suspect
Ashley’s POVAs we left the investigator’s office, I felt the weight of the cryptic text burning in my pocket. My thoughts were a mess—who could be watching me so closely? Could it really be just a prank? But deep down, I knew it was something more, and that realization sent a chill down my spine.Next to me, Andreas studied my face, his brows drawing together in concern. “Ashley, are you alright?” His voice was gentle, his hand grazing mine as if to ground me. I opened my mouth, half considering telling him everything, but I stopped myself. If I involved him, if I told him about the messages, there was no way he’d let me handle it alone. He’d be protective, maybe even reckless, and I couldn’t risk dragging him into something I didn’t fully understand myself.“Just a little tired,” I said with a tight smile, hoping it was convincing enough.His eyes lingered on me, a flicker of doubt there, but he nodded slowly, his thumb brushing softly over my hand before he let go. “Alright,” he sa
The Wife Swap Chapter 151: Who’s pulling the strings?
Ashley’s POVThe minute we stepped into the opera hall, a sense of unease settled over me. I handed my phone to the attendant, my fingers trembling as he scanned the code from the cryptic message. When he directed us toward a prime, center seat in the VIP section, my stomach dropped. Who had sent this? And why would they choose such a seat that would position me in plain view? Choosing to get general tickets so that Faye and I could sit together, I looked around as we sat, scanning the hall to see if there was a face that I could recognize.All through the show, I was restless. The music, haunting and beautiful, only amplified the tension in my chest as I stole glances around the room. I felt like there were eyes on me everywhere I looked. My mind drifted back to that picture of the ticket, the words, “I know who you are beneath it all…” Whoever had sent that message was here. Watching me.By the time the curtain fell, my nerves were stretched to the breaking point. Faye and I slipped
The Wife Swap Chapter 152: Home
Ashley’s POVAs Faye drove through the quiet streets, the city lights casting fleeting shadows across the car’s interior, I finally worked up the nerve to ask. I glanced over at her, fingers twisting anxiously in my lap. “Did you… ever know Ashton to date someone named Shawn?”She nodded without hesitation, her eyes on the road as if this was the most ordinary question. “Yeah, I thought you knew about him already,” she replied, casual, like it was common knowledge.My stomach twisted, heart thudding as I tried to keep my face neutral. Faye’s brow furrowed when she caught the flash of surprise I couldn’t hide. “Oh, Ashley…” She glanced at me with a look of regret. “I’m so sorry. Ashton didn’t tell you, did she?”I shook my head, each motion feeling heavier than the last. “No… she didn’t.”Faye sighed, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel. “Honestly, she didn’t say much about him. Just enough to let me know that he wasn’t… safe. Ashton didn’t scare easily, but with him, it was d
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