All Chapters of The Wife Swap: Chapter 151 - Chapter 160

Ashley’s POVThe minute we stepped into the opera hall, a sense of unease settled over me. I handed my phone to the attendant, my fingers trembling as he scanned the code from the cryptic message. When he directed us toward a prime, center seat in the VIP section, my stomach dropped. Who had sent this? And why would they choose such a seat that would position me in plain view? Choosing to get general tickets so that Faye and I could sit together, I looked around as we sat, scanning the hall to see if there was a face that I could recognize.All through the show, I was restless. The music, haunting and beautiful, only amplified the tension in my chest as I stole glances around the room. I felt like there were eyes on me everywhere I looked. My mind drifted back to that picture of the ticket, the words, “I know who you are beneath it all…” Whoever had sent that message was here. Watching me.By the time the curtain fell, my nerves were stretched to the breaking point. Faye and I slipped

Ashley’s POVI thought for a moment, searching through the archives of my mind. Then it hit me—the summer Ash and I turned nine. “I remember this one summer when Ashton decided that we were going to put on a circus in my backyard. We spent days planning it out.”“A circus?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder with a teasing grin. “What kind of acts did you have?”I laughed, a sense of nostalgia washing over me. “Well, I was the ‘lion tamer’—though really, I just wore a scarf and pretended to crack an invisible whip at my dog, who was more interested in chasing butterflies.”Andreas chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s amazing. And what about Ash?”“She was the ‘strong woman.’ She made this huge cardboard dumbbell and pretended to lift it over her head while I announced her feats of strength.” I could see it so clearly in my mind, the laughter, the sun shining down on us as we put on our ridiculous show for the neighborhood kids.“That sounds like a blast,” Andreas said, his eyes spark

Ashley’s POVDarkness enveloped me, and I felt an overwhelming sense of dread as I struggled to open my eyes. But when I did, I found myself tied to a chair, the coarse ropes biting into my wrists and ankles. The air was thick and stale, the only sound the eerie echo of my shallow breaths. Panic clawed at my throat as I took in my surroundings—dimly lit, with walls made of rough wooden planks, the kind you might find in a barn. No windows, no way out. Just me, the chair, and the growing anxiety coiling in my stomach.I tried to remember how I ended up here, but my mind was a haze, clouded by fear and confusion. Why was I here? What was happening? My heart raced as the oppressive silence seemed to close in on me. Just when the weight of my despair became too heavy to bear, I heard a voice—a familiar voice that made my blood run cold.“Ashley?”My breath caught in my throat as I strained to see the source of that voice. Squinting into the shadows, I caught a glimpse of someone else tied

Ashley’s POVAs I ended the call with Sandra, a cold wave of dread washed over me. The thought of the gallery being broken into twisted my stomach into knots. What if this was connected to the stalker? My heart raced, a relentless drumbeat echoing the rising panic inside me. I could barely think as I turned to Andreas, who was already standing beside me, his expression serious.“What’s going on?” he asked, his voice steady but laced with concern.“Someone broke into the gallery,” I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking, but the words tumbled out in a rush. “Sandra said it’s a mess. I can’t just sit here and wait. I need to see it for myself.”Andreas nodded, his brows furrowing slightly. “Okay, let’s go. I’ll drive you.”“Are you sure? I don’t want to drag you into this,” I replied, reminding myself that Andreas had no idea that I could potentially have a stalker.“I don’t mind. You shouldn’t go alone, especially if it’s as serious as you say,” he insisted.I hesitated, torn betw

Ashley’s POVAfter Thomas left, I returned back to the wreckage of Ashton’s office, the feeling of unease gnawing at me. The slashed painting had been horrifying enough, but now I was alone, combing through the mess left behind, trying to make sense of it. It felt like walking through a minefield, every shattered piece of glass a reminder of how exposed I felt. Andreas had gone back to speaking to the officers, leaving me with my thoughts and the growing fear that I was missing something.I needed to find a clue, anything to tell me why this was happening. My hands trembled slightly as I sifted through papers scattered across Ashton’s desk, the scent of paint still heavy in the air. I glanced around the room, desperate for something out of place, something I could piece together. And then I saw it.The display case.Or what was left of it.I moved closer, my heart pounding in my chest. Shards of glass glittered on the floor like tiny shards of ice. Among the broken pieces and toppled