Chapter 159: Two dolls

Ashley’s POV

After Thomas left, I returned back to the wreckage of Ashton’s office, the feeling of unease gnawing at me. The slashed painting had been horrifying enough, but now I was alone, combing through the mess left behind, trying to make sense of it. It felt like walking through a minefield, every shattered piece of glass a reminder of how exposed I felt. Andreas had gone back to speaking to the officers, leaving me with my thoughts and the growing fear that I was missing something.

I needed to find a clue, anything to tell me why this was happening. My hands trembled slightly as I sifted through papers scattered across Ashton’s desk, the scent of paint still heavy in the air. I glanced around the room, desperate for something out of place, something I could piece together. And then I saw it.

The display case.

Or what was left of it.

I moved closer, my heart pounding in my chest. Shards of glass glittered on the floor like tiny shards of ice. Among the broken pieces and toppled