All Chapters of The Wife Swap: Chapter 181 - Chapter 190

Ashley’s POVThomas’s uneven steps echoed in the dimly lit hall, each staggered footfall sending a spike of unease through me. The corridor felt endless now, the way back to the main hall a distant memory as I found myself moving backward, instinctively trying to put as much space between us as I could. His eyes, glassy and unfocused, locked onto mine, and despite the alcohol clearly dulling his senses, there was a sharpness there—a raw, almost desperate intensity that sent chills down my spine.I tried to step past him, angling my body to slip by, but his arm shot out, blocking my path. I flinched, swallowing hard as he leaned closer. “Wait,” he slurred, his voice a mix of frustration and pleading. “Just—just wait a second, will you? I need to talk to you.”I forced a calm expression, even as my heart raced. “Thomas, you’re drunk. This isn’t the time or place—”“Time or place?” he repeated bitterly, a mirthless laugh escaping his lips. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, gripping t

Andreas’s POVI stood in the corner of the ballroom, my gaze fixed on Ashley as she laughed at something Kennedy said, and my fists clenched and unclenched at my sides as I debated whether I should go back to her. Just as I took a step forward, a familiar figure moved into my line of sight.Sydney.She returned from the bar where she’d gone to get us drinks with the confidence of someone who knew she wouldn’t be turned away, her smile wide but with a sharp edge I recognized too well. The gleam in her eyes hadn’t changed; it was that same calculating look she always had when she wanted something from me. I felt a flicker of irritation, but I kept my face neutral as she closed the distance between us, handing me a glass as she clinked hers against mine."Andreas," she said, her voice a smooth, practiced purr. "It’s been too long since we’ve really talked."I gave her a curt nod, forcing a polite smile. "I didn’t expect to see you tonight." It was true; I hadn’t seen her name on the gues

Ashley’s POVThe initial wave of relief I felt upon seeing Andreas quickly dissolved into a cold, creeping terror as he and Thomas clashed. It happened so fast that I barely had time to react. One moment, Thomas was standing too close, his drunken smirk making my skin crawl; the next, Andreas was there, shoving him hard against the wall. I could hear the sickening thud of Thomas’s back hitting the concrete, and the sheer force of it made me wince.Andreas’s face was a mask of pure, unrestrained fury. It was a side of him I had never seen, and it terrified me. He was always so composed, so in control, but now he looked like he was on the verge of losing it. His hand gripped Thomas’s collar, twisting the fabric as if he might tear it apart. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, his voice low and deadly.Thomas, despite his disheveled state, let out a taunting laugh. He wasn’t scared—if anything, he seemed to be enjoying the confrontation. His eyes, glassy from alcohol,

Andreas’s POVI watched Ashley’s figure disappear into the night, my heart tightening in my chest with each step she took away from me. The argument played over and over in my mind, every word I’d said echoing in my head, and a sinking feeling started to settle in my stomach. What had I done? How could I have let jealousy overtake me like that? I’d pushed her away, said things I never meant, all because I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her to someone else.I wanted to run after her, apologize, but something inside me stopped me. The pounding in my chest was growing worse, too heavy, too familiar. A cold, sharp pain flared through me, a reminder of my deteriorating heart condition I’d been ignoring for too long. I’d been so worked up about her keeping secrets from me when I was nothing but a hypocrite who hadn’t even told her how badly my condition had gotten and that the doctor wanted me to do surgery as soon as possible.Shaking my head, I pushed the thought aside, focusing ins

Ashton’s POVI should have told Andreas. I know I should have. But the shame...the shame was unbearable. I’d never felt guilt like that before, not even when I was conning rich men out of their money with Shawn. It was a game back then, a way to feel powerful in a world where I’d always been at someone else’s mercy. But with Andreas, it was different. He was different. He might have been cold, calculating, and distant, but he always defended me in front of his family. He valued my opinion, trusted me with decisions, and most shockingly, helped me open my own gallery—a dream I never thought would come true. He gave me something I’d never had before: a sense of stability, of worth.The more I realized how much I valued him, the more I feared losing him. Because I knew that if he ever found out the truth—about my past, about the stalker—I’d lose everything. He’d look at me the way all the others did when they realized I’d played them. I’d be nothing but a liar, a fraud. And I couldn’t be