Ashley’s POVFaye watched me with a knowing smile as Nora returned with our drinks, breaking the tension that had suddenly enveloped the room at her admission that she knew about the wife swap. The sudden appearance of the housekeeper startled me, momentarily snapping me out of my shock. "What would you like for dinner, ma'am?" Nora asked, her voice polite as she set the drinks down on the table.I tried my best to remain composed, my mind still reeling from Faye's revelation. "Whatever Andreas prefers," I replied, my voice a bit monotone.Nora nodded and turned to leave, her footsteps fading into the background. As soon as she was out of earshot, Faye leaned forward, her eyes filled with concern."Surprised? I didn't mean to scare you with the news" she stated."Who are you?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper.Faye reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. Shifting closer to me, she scrolled through a series of pictures, each one capturing a moment shared between her and
Ashley’s POVAs I stood outside Andreas' bedroom door, my heart pounded in my chest. The weight of the situation pressed down on me, a heavy burden that I was struggling to carry. I knew I was doing something wrong, something that could have consequences., especially because I might not even find anything remotely related to getting answers about Ashton’s plans before the crash in this bedroom but then again, I wasn’t about to leave any stone unturned. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had to do something. Something was better than doing nothing anyway. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead, a physical manifestation of my anxiety. I knew that if I was caught, the outcome would be dire. But I was willing to risk it all for Ashton.With trembling hands, I reached for the doorknob. I hesitated for a moment, my mind racing with thoughts of what might happen. Looking around one more time to see if anyone was coming and finding no o
Ashley’s POVMy hand was already on the doorknob but then, I paused. I reminded myself that I wasn't here for a tour. I was here to find answers, to get to the bottom of whatever was happening. The best place to do that was probably Ashton's room first, not even here, but I wasn't about to leave without searching anyway since that was why I was here in the first place. Turning away from the locked door, I headed towards the drawers, pulling them open one by one. I rummaged through the contents, searching for anything that might be out of place. But all I found were Andreas' personal belongings. There wasn't a single feminine item in sight. A wave of realization hit me. It was clear that Ashton hadn't lived here since they were married. She had told me they were having a spat, which had made me even more surprised when I had first found out that she had a separate room from him but I hadn't thought much about it then because this was a mansion and perhaps she needed her own space but
Ashley’s POVTwo words. I'm fucked. "What could I possibly be hiding?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Fear gnawed at my insides as I met his cold, calculating gaze. Had he finally figured out that I wasn’t Ashton? And what was I even going to say if he said that he had?Andreas smirked, his eyes glinting with triumph. "I got a very interesting call from the bank today," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "It seems you made a rather large withdrawal on Friday." My heart pounded in my chest. What was he talking about? I tried to play it cool, even though the only thing I remembered doing on Friday was boarding that darned plan to Aspen after agreeing foolishly to pretend to swap places with my sister. "A large withdrawal?" I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady. "Indeed. A million dollars. I was told that the withdrawal was made around noon and while I wouldn't care what you do with your time, I was told you wanted it in cash, but when I called the house last w
Ashley’s POVThe river glowed under the soft glow of the moon, its surface bubbling like a steaming mug of coffee.A wave of déjà vu washed over me. I recognized this place. It was the river where Ashton and I used to go fishing with our uncle. Ashton had never really liked the water, always preferring the safety of the shore. But I had loved the thrill of casting my line, the anticipation of feeling a fish tugging at the end of my line, and the peace and quiet. As I sat on the boat, staring at the flowing water, I realized I was dreaming again. These dreams had been haunting me since Ashton's disappearance. They were vivid, and detailed, and always left me feeling more terrified than before. I tried to shake off the dream, to force myself awake. But the dream persisted, its images and emotions swirling around in my mind. This time, the dream was different. It didn't show us as children. It was Ashton and I, grown up, sitting on a small boat. Ashton was complaining, as usual. "I'd
Ashley’s POVI rushed into the bathroom and knelt over the toilet, my stomach churning. Whoever it was that had held me on my bed followed me, holding my hair back as I vomited. The vomit was a sickly green color, and it tasted as horrid as my sorrow. The dream had been so vivid, so real. It felt like I had experienced it. And the fact that Ashton was still missing made everything worse. When I was finally done vomiting, I turned around to see who had held me when I roused. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Andreas. He was standing there, his face etched with worry. His dark eyes, usually so full of intensity, were now filled with a soft concern that I had never seen before. "You were screaming," he said, his voice gentle. "Your door wasn't locked, so I thought there was an intruder." I remembered the kiss we had shared last night, his abrupt dismissal. My face reddened as I looked away from him. "Don't you have to be at work?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper and d
Ashley's POV"Nothing?" Liv's voice echoed through the phone as I stepped out of the house. I inhaled sharply as I made myself comfortable in the backseat, a knot tightening in my stomach. The thought of having to pretend in front of Andreas and his family again filled me with dread. I was already trying and failing where Andreas alone was concerned, not to mention his family which made me feel like I was a sheep amid wolves. Adam, my driver, nodded in greeting as I slammed the door shut. I wanted to ask him to just hand over the keys to me because having a driver felt a bit excessive, and quickly remembered that he would probably politely decline since he was here on Andreas’ orders. "Nothing," I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. I looked out the window, watching as the city passed by. The buildings seemed to blur together, my mind racing with thoughts of Ashton. After Andreas had dropped that bomb about us having dinner at his parent's house and left, I'd practically ransacke
Ashley’s POVI had no idea how long I sat in my sister’s office but when my phone beeped, the alarm I'd set to remind me to prep for the dinner with Andreas’ family, I rose to my feet and headed out, my heart pounding in my chest. I was nervous, anxious, and unsure of what to expect. Dinner at Andreas' parents' place was going to be a challenge, to say the least, and even though I'd managed to survive the weekend in Aspen undetected, I had a strong feeling that I might not be so lucky again. As I stepped inside the mansion, I was surprised to see Nora, the housekeeper, waiting for me. "I've already called a makeup artist," she said with a smile. "She'll be here soon to prepare you for dinner." I was about to ask if this was what usually happened when there was an event, but I quickly held my tongue. Asking that would only confuse Nora and make her suspicious of my identity. "Thank you," I replied, trying to sound casual. Heading upstairs, I paused when I saw a large package outsid