Ashley’s POV“I just wish Ashton had told me,” I said quietly, the weight of her absence settling over me like a heavy cloud. “I don’t know how to fix this without her.”Liv reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “We’ll figure it out, Ash. Whatever it is, we’ll get to the bottom of it. Starting with finding Ashton." I let out a long sigh, my fingers tracing the rim of my coffee cup. “I don’t know. I want to believe that Ashton’s okay, but I can’t ignore the fact that she’s put me in this situation again to clean up after her." My phone buzzed on the table, breaking the tense moment between us. I glanced down and saw Andreas’ name flashing on the screen. My stomach twisted as I opened the message.“Come to the company so we can discuss the contract.”I rolled my eyes and set the phone down, not even bothering to respond. The last thing I wanted was to see Andreas, especially after the way he talked to me last night. “I guess he’s ready to discuss the contract,” I said, my voi
Ashley's POVI hadn’t seen Andreas before he left for work this morning, and now, taking in the sight of him, my mind betrayed me. Unwanted memories of that kiss in the music room crept in—the way his lips had caught me off guard, the heat that had surged through me against my will. I felt my face flush, and I immediately scolded myself. What am I doing? This man basically called me and Ashton gold diggers last night.Reminding myself of how much I disliked him, I squared my shoulders and for a moment, neither of us spoke. We just stared at each other, the air between us thick with tension. His piercing grey eyes seemed to search mine, and for a split second, I wondered if he was remembering the kiss too. But then his lips twitched into that infuriatingly calm, knowing smile, and whatever vulnerability might have been there was gone.“Please, have a seat,” he said smoothly, gesturing toward the plush chair in front of his desk.I hesitated for a moment, then crossed the room and sat do
Ashley's POVMy heart stopped for a second. Two years? My eyes widened in shock as I leaned forward, unable to hold back my disbelief. “Wait, you expect me to be a part of this charade for two years? Even if we find out Ashton is fine?”Andreas met my gaze, his expression calm, almost too calm, as if we weren’t discussing something completely outrageous. “Of course not. Ashton’s contract was for two years. What I’m asking you to sign now is a non-disclosure agreement.”I blinked, the words taking a second to sink in. “A…non-disclosure agreement?” My voice was laced with suspicion. “So, what? You want me to keep quiet about this whole wife-swap situation and your deal with Ashton?”He nodded, his tone steady as ever. “Precisely. No one can know. That includes your friend Liv and your sister Faye. I’ve already started drafting letters for them to sign as well.”I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Letters? He was really going to make them sign NDAs too? “And what if Liv and Faye refus
Ashley’s POVAs I stepped out of the elevator, the metal doors sliding shut behind me, the weight of the contract in my hand felt almost oppressive. Each step I took across the floor seemed to echo in the lobby, amplifying my growing sense of dread, but before I could gather my thoughts, I saw Faye walking into the building.Faye, seemingly preoccupied, was holding a phone to her ear, her voice a steady stream of professional calm. But the moment her eyes locked with mine, she lowered the phone, cutting off whoever was on the other end mid-sentence. “Ashton?”I could see the way her face fell when she realized that I wasn’t my sister, returned from wherever she disappeared to, but she smiled again as she headed for me, “I was just about to call you,” she said, slipping the phone into her bag with a practiced motion. Her tone was a mix of surprise and curiosity. “What are you doing here?”Caught off guard, I stammered, “I could ask you the same thing.”Faye chuckled, the sound tinged w
Ashley’s POVThe drive to Vermont was long, but I didn’t mind. I welcomed the distance, the time to myself, even if Adam’s presence was a constant reminder that I wasn’t truly alone. As we neared my apartment, I finally opened my eyes, staring out at the familiar streets that felt almost foreign after everything that had happened.“Can you drop me here?” I asked, my voice still soft but a bit steadier now. Adam didn’t respond verbally, just nodded once again, his gaze flickering to me in the rearview mirror.The last thing I needed was for someone to see me getting out of a chauffeured car,l with a driver that was dressed like a bodyguard, especially in this neighborhood, where people would notice. Questions would be asked, and I wasn’t in any state to answer them.I stepped out of the car, the cool evening air brushing against my skin as I made my way down the familiar streets toward my apartment building. My steps were slow, and hesitant, as if I was trying to delay the inevitable r
Andreas’ POVI leaned against the chair as Ashley stormed out of my office, the beeping of my watch evidence of the rapid pounding in my chest. It had been several hours since Ashley confessed to me that she’d been pretending to be her twin who was my wife in paper, Ashton and even though I’d not wanted to believe it, watching her today in my office had finally fixed the missing part of the puzzle that I’d been trying to solve since I noticed something was amiss back in Aspen.How had I not even seen it?For months after we married, Ashton had tried to seduce me, to blur the lines of our marriage contract for her own personal gain. I had resisted her advances, not because I thought she was unattractive but because people like Ashton were never satisfied and mixing business with pleasure with someone like her whose loyalty was only to herself was foolery.I had thought I was going mad when I had started to find Ashton's allure impossible to ignore. But it wasn't Ashton I was attracted
Andreas’ POVI had forgotten how easy it was to deal with women. Tons wanted me, wanted to please me, and would do anything I wanted just for the opportunity to speak with me so I knew that if my father found out I’d married for convenience and was even paying at the end of it,l instead of just marrying one of the many options he’d selected for me, he would be furious. When I arrived at the rendezvous point that I’d be meeting up with Sydney, one of the women I had a casual on-and-off relationship with, I saw a familiar scene already prepared. She was standing there, naked and waiting, just like she used to. In the past, this sight would have excited me, the prospect of momentarily filling up my sexual appetites appealing. However, at that moment, there was no excitement. Instead, a strong desire to turn around and leave took over, overshadowing any remaining arousal.The scene, which was once familiar and pleasing, now felt empty. The lack of excitement and the strong desire to hur
Ashley’s POVI sat up so quickly that the world spun for a moment. My heart pounded in my chest as I processed the words I’d just heard. "Thank you," I managed to say to the airport official on the other end of the line. "I’ll be there first thing tomorrow morning."As soon as the call ended, I stared at my phone, the familiar weight of dread settling in my stomach. I had to call Liv. My fingers trembled as I dialed her number, praying she would pick up. When the voicemail beeped, I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady.“Liv, it’s me. I—I've been called in to check the footage tomorrow, to see if...if Ashton was there.” The words stuck in my throat. “I’m scared, Liv. I’m so scared that...that I’m going to see her at the airport. What if—” My voice cracked, and I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. They came in a sudden, uncontrollable rush. “What if she was there, Liv? What if—”The call cut off as I lost control, and I let the phone slip from my fingers. My chest f