Ashley’s POVAs the makeup artist left, I reached for my phone, my heart pounding in my chest when I saw that I had a missed call from Faye. I quickly dialed her number, my fingers trembling slightly. "Faye," I said, heart in my mouth, "Have you heard anything?" "I'm sorry, Ashley. I haven't been able to get any information," Faye responded, her voice filled with concern. "How about you?" I sighed, the weight of my worry pressing down on me. "I went to the gallery today. But I didn't find anything,"Faye was quiet for a moment and I thought she'd hung up until she spoke again, "You should probably try to file a stolen phone report," she proposed. I nodded, my heart sinking as the dreary reality of the situation started to draw even closer. "I'm thinking about doing that. If I don't get any news tomorrow from the airline, I'll confess everything to Andreas." Faye gasped. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I thought you were going to wait till next week to hear from them," she asked
Ashley's POVThe tension in the car was so thick, I could feel it hanging over me like a dark cloud. I shifted in my seat, trying to find a comfortable position. But nothing worked. I was too uneasy, too tense. I didn't know whether it was because of my proximity to Andreas or the unfinished conversation he had said we'd have. The thought of him confronting me about our unfinished discussion filled me with worry. From the corner of my eye, I could see him scrolling on his iPad. He seemed so calm, so collected. How could he be so relaxed when I was falling apart on the inside? Well, he wasn't the one pretending to be his missing twin who could be dead so why would he have anything to worry about? I looked away, trying to be busy on my phone. I saw a message from my neighbor, asking if I had traveled because she hadn’t seen me around and that she missed me. I let out a shaky breath, a pang of homesickness hitting me. I missed the warmth of my cute apartment, my simple life. I misse
Ashley’s POVI did a double take as I took in the interior of the mansion, my mouth falling open in awe. The grand, double-height entrance hall was decorated with detailed marble floors and towering columns. Moonlight streamed through stained glass windows, and a grand staircase, spiraling up to the second floor, dominated the center of the room.As Andreas and I were led towards the dining hall, I couldn't help but wonder if this had initially been built as a castle and then remodeled, or if the architect was simply that talented. The mansion was a testament to the power of affluence. I could only imagine my sister’s face the first time she had visited here. I was sure that she would mentally kick her feet up, giddy that she had finally gotten the Cinderella lifestyle that she used to talk about all the time when we were kids. As we drew closer to our destination, the awe that had gripped at the beauty of this place turned into anxiety, my stomach tightening into knots.When we arriv
Ashley’s POVThe rest of the dinner passed in tense silence. I tried my best to avoid making eye contact with anyone because the last thing I wanted was for them to notice was how fidgety I had started to become as dinner went on. The worst part was that every time I looked up, certain that someone was watching me, I was always surprised to find that it wasn't even Ashton’s in-laws who kept staring at me so unabashedly but Andreas', his gaze intense and unwavering. I tried to ignore him, to focus on my food, but it was almost impossible, the tension in the room suffocating. As we finished our meal, Alfred announced that dessert would be served in the living room. Everyone stood up and followed him, their footsteps echoing through the empty hallway. When we arrived in the living room, we were greeted by a table already prepared. As we sat down, Alfred cleared his throat. "Now, to the reason why we have gathered here tonight, I have an announcement to make," he said, his voice filled
Ashley’s POVAs I wandered through the hallway looking for a restroom, it felt like the walls were starting to move or perhaps it was because I was suddenly feeling dizzy, overwhelmed by the anxiety attack that had just hit me in the presence of Andreas and his entire family. I was lost, and disoriented, and my mind was racing as I struggled to comprehend that a new problem had just arisen as if Ashton being missing was not enough. I had no single idea what this anniversary thing was about but from Amarinth and Adam’s retort at what Alfred had said, it was a big thing and I certainly could not accept to do such a thing, especially with Ashton yet to be found. I had to tell Andreas the truth about everything as soon as possible. Realizing that I had spent so much time thinking that I hadn’t been focusing on my surroundings, I looked around, wondering which path to take back and I was about to break down in tears when Andreas appeared, reaching for my hand and pulling me into a large,
Ashley’s POVAndreas's touch sent a shockwave through my body, freezing me in place. His hand grazed the fabric of my panties, and for a split second, the world around me blurred. Every nerve ending in my body screamed for more, for the connection that I knew was dangerous but suddenly felt so right. I could feel his breath warm against my skin, and all the reasons why this was wrong seemed to melt away in that moment.But then clarity crashed over me like a wave, cold and relentless. What was I doing? What were we doing? This wasn’t just a mistake—it was a betrayal of everything I stood for, everything I’d promised myself. Andreas was my sister’s husband. And Ashton... my sister was missing, possibly dead. The thought struck me with the force of a punch to the gut. How could I even entertain the idea of sleeping with him, knowing that?Shame clawed at me, wrapping itself around my throat until I could barely breathe. My vision blurred, and before I knew it, tears were streaming down
Ashley’s POVWhen we finally entered the room, the conversations came to an abrupt halt. Every eye turned to us, and the weight of their gazes was almost unbearable. I forced myself to stand tall, even as my heart threatened to burst out of my chest.Clearing my throat, I mustered up a small, apologetic smile. "I’m so sorry for disappearing like that," I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "It seems... it’s my time of the month, and it caught me off guard."I saw the understanding nods, the polite expressions that flickered across their faces. Except for Amarinth. She sat back in her chair, a sly smile playing on her lips, and then she snorted—a sharp, dismissive sound that cut through the tension like a knife."A shame," Amarinth said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I hope you aren't too disappointed by this, darling. Just try harder again next month."Her words hit me like a slap, and I had to fight to keep my composure. I knew she was trying to provoke me, to make me feel smal
Ashley’s POVThe ride home was cloaked in an oppressive silence, more suffocating than I could have imagined. The tension between Andreas and me was palpable, like a heavy fog pressing down on us. The streets blurred past outside the car window, each streetlight casting shadows that seemed to echo the turmoil inside me.I kept stealing glances at Andreas, but he was fixed on the road, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he was brooding over the events of the evening or if he was merely lost in his thoughts. Either way, the silence was unbearable. My mind raced with the countless implications of what had happened.What would his reaction be when he discovered the truth? The woman he had kissed, the woman he had nearly slept with—it wasn’t his wife Ashton but me, her twin sister. The realization made my heart pound harder. Andreas had no idea that it was me in her place, living her life, pretending to be her. The guilt and shame I felt were almost overwhelming. How could I have