Chapter 173: The weight of lies

Ashley’s POV

I must have fallen asleep eventually because the next time I opened my eyes, we we were pulling up in front of the mansion. The familiar gates stood ahead, its grand pillars and immaculate gardens feeling suffocating instead of welcoming. I gripped the door handle for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady myself. It was strange, but the instant we were back, it felt like every bit of relaxation I had gotten from trying to clear my head in Vermont evaporated. The weight of everything—the lies, the confusion, the unknowns—settled back onto my shoulders, heavier than ever.

Liv unbuckled her seatbelt, turned to look at me with a determined expression. “Alright, let’s get inside. We’ll take a quick look in Ashton’s room and see if we can find anything else that might give us a clue.”

I caught her arm before she could fully push the door open. “Liv, wait,” I said softly. She glanced back at me, eyebrows raised. “You’ve been driving non-stop for hours. I can’t ask you to do t