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
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
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
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
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
Ashley’s POVI thought for a moment, searching through the archives of my mind. Then it hit me—the summer Ash and I turned nine. “I remember this one summer when Ashton decided that we were going to put on a circus in my backyard. We spent days planning it out.”“A circus?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder with a teasing grin. “What kind of acts did you have?”I laughed, a sense of nostalgia washing over me. “Well, I was the ‘lion tamer’—though really, I just wore a scarf and pretended to crack an invisible whip at my dog, who was more interested in chasing butterflies.”Andreas chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s amazing. And what about Ash?”“She was the ‘strong woman.’ She made this huge cardboard dumbbell and pretended to lift it over her head while I announced her feats of strength.” I could see it so clearly in my mind, the laughter, the sun shining down on us as we put on our ridiculous show for the neighborhood kids.“That sounds like a blast,” Andreas said, his eyes spark
Ashley’s POVThe air was thick with tension as Andreas led me down the dimly lit hallway toward his bedroom. Each step felt weighted, as if the gravity of the moment was pulling us both closer to something inevitable. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the anticipation crackling between us. My heart raced, not just from the thrill of being here with him but also from the uncertainty of what this night might bring.When we reached the door, he hesitated, glancing back at me. His eyes searched mine, filled with a mixture of desire and vulnerability. I could see the question lingering there: Do you really want this? Do you want me? The look in his eyes sent a rush of warmth through me, and I couldn’t help but melt at how nervous he looked. I found myself nodding, unable to break the spell he’d cast over me.He exhaled softly, almost in relief, and opened the door. As we stepped inside, I tried to lighten the mood, my nerves bubbling to the surface. “You know,” I said with a playful
Ashley’s POVDarkness enveloped me, and I felt an overwhelming sense of dread as I struggled to open my eyes. But when I did, I found myself tied to a chair, the coarse ropes biting into my wrists and ankles. The air was thick and stale, the only sound the eerie echo of my shallow breaths. Panic clawed at my throat as I took in my surroundings—dimly lit, with walls made of rough wooden planks, the kind you might find in a barn. No windows, no way out. Just me, the chair, and the growing anxiety coiling in my stomach.I tried to remember how I ended up here, but my mind was a haze, clouded by fear and confusion. Why was I here? What was happening? My heart raced as the oppressive silence seemed to close in on me. Just when the weight of my despair became too heavy to bear, I heard a voice—a familiar voice that made my blood run cold.“Ashley?”My breath caught in my throat as I strained to see the source of that voice. Squinting into the shadows, I caught a glimpse of someone else tied