Chapter 81: That door

Ashley’s POV

Finally forcing myself out of the room, I made my way down the hall toward Andreas’s suite. Every step felt heavier than the last, as though some invisible force was trying to drag me back. I wasn’t sure what I would say to him after agreeing to Annabel’s plea. The thought of confronting him about something as personal as his sister’s play filled me with unease. Yet, the larger part of me dreaded the weight of the kiss, the confusing tangle of emotions we hadn’t yet addressed.

When I reached his room, I found it empty, which was both a relief and a disappointment. The air felt different in here, still carrying the faint musk of his cologne, and my gaze shifted around the space, seeking... I wasn’t sure what. Maybe clues to who he really was beneath the guarded exterior.

That’s when my eyes landed on the door. That door. The one that had been locked the first time I’d snuck into his room. Curiosity bubbled up, as it had the moment I’d first seen it. What could he be hiding