When Nathan heard the news, his brows furrowed. "You don't have to do that," he said from the doorway, arms crossed.
Ashley whirled around, startled. She hadn't even realized he was there.
"I do." She sounded stubborn. "I can't do this over the phone. No more running. I need to see him."
Nathan looked at her for a long moment, sizing her up. "Okay," he said finally, and he was so firm that Ashley blinked up at him. "I'll go with you."
"This is family business." She blinked at him again.
"It's security business now," Nathan corrected. "You're still in the middle of something dangerous. I'm not letting you go into a situation like that alone."
Ashley did not argue, though part of her was silently grateful for his offer.
She dressed carefully that evening, but not for Harvey. She dressed for herself. A simple black dress, pearl earrings, hair in a low twist. Ashley wanted to look calm. Impassive. Invulnerable.
The West family estate was everything Ashley remembered, grand, cold, perfect. Everything was gilded and flawless, designed to impress and overawe. The dining hall glowed with crystal chandeliers, polished silver, and tall vases filled with fresh flowers. It was the kind of room that made guests feel like outsiders, like they were always in danger of being seen as insignificant.
Ashley walked in, heels clicking on the marble floor, and immediately felt the eyes of everyone there on her. Harvey was already there, leaning with a bored air against the fireplace, his cousins flitting about him like usual.
"Look who finally deigned to make an appearance," one of them snorted loud enough for Ashley to hear.
She ignored him and nodded politely at Harvey's parents.
"Good evening, Mrs. West."
Harvey's mother appraised Ashley silently, from head to toe, with a smile that was not quite a smile. "Ashley," she said. "We were afraid you wouldn't come. I told Harvey you were probably too upset."
Ashley forced a smile. "Thank you for having me."
They all sat at the large table for dinner. The room was stiflingly quiet, except for the scraping of silverware. Ashley sat up straight, hands folded demurely in her lap.
Halfway through the meal, Harvey's mother spoke. "Ashley," she cooed, "I have always respected the time you spend on your studies. But you must realize that our family name is important. If you marry, it will be a political alliance first, a romance second."
Ashley carefully set down her fork. "I understand, Mrs. West."
Mrs. West smiled coldly. "I do sometimes wonder, dear, if you realize what you're getting into. After all, you have no family name, no place in society. People will think..." She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.
Ashley felt a knot form in her chest.
"She's marrying for money, not for love," one of Harvey's cousins whispered with a laugh.
Mrs. West chuckled softly, not denying it.
Before Ashley could respond, a deep, clear voice spoke from the other end of the table.
"I have always thought Ashley carried herself with more dignity than most of us could in her situation," said a woman with green eyes and a quietly commanding presence.
Ashley whirled to look. Nathan was seated beside her, she hadn't seen him slip into the room, and sitting next to him was the woman speaking.
Nathan caught Ashley's shocked glance. "Ashley," he said quietly, "this is my mother."
Ashley blinked in surprise. She hadn't even realized Nathan had a family, let alone that they were somehow connected to the Wests.
"You two know each other?" Harvey asked immediately, his annoyance apparent.
"It's confidential," Nathan replied in his calm voice.
Nathan's mother smiled gently at Ashley. "My son's uncle is Harvey's father," she said quietly. "We are blood family, even if we do not always congregate." She looked at the rest of the table, eyes soft, and it eased the tension slightly. "The Wests are in commerce, and the Fords are in the military. Nathan is a major at a very young age. He has the most potential of any of his peers."
Ashley nodded, still stunned, and murmured a quiet, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Nathan's mother smiled at Ashley, pleased. "And it is a pleasure to meet a young woman who knows her own value."
Ashley swallowed against a suddenly dry throat. She straightened her shoulders and looked back at Mrs. West. "Excuse me, with all due respect, I am not here to prove my value to anyone at this table."
The room fell silent. Harvey set his wine glass down, meeting her eyes with a scowl. "Ashley," he said slowly, "what are you doing?"
Ashley took a deep breath, dug into her clutch, and pulled out the ring. She stood, holding it out on her palm.
"I am breaking off this engagement," she said. "I would rather be on my own than with someone who does not respect me."
There were gasps around the table. Harvey stared at her like she had spoken an ancient, incomprehensible language. "You're serious?"
Ashley nodded. "Yes."
His cousins all glanced at each other, one of them muttering under his breath, "She's making a big deal out of nothing. Everyone in our circle has open marriages. She should be grateful he even wants to marry her."
Ashley heard every word, loud and clear, and turned to them serenely. "If I am to be grateful to be treated like an option, then no thank you. I would rather be single than half loved."
Harvey glared at her, his expression hardening. "You think you can just walk away from me like this?"
"Yes," Ashley replied, voice steady. "Watch me."
She set the ring on the table in front of him. The diamonds sparkled in the chandelier light and glinted, an affront to the silence that fell over the room.
For a long moment, no one moved.
At last, Harvey pushed back his chair and stood slowly. "You're not in your right mind," he said.
Ashley met his eyes one last time. "I've never been clearer in my life."
She turned and headed for the door, heels clicking against the marble floor.
Nathan caught up with her there. "You all right?" he whispered.
Ashley sighed, uneasily. "I think so. That was harder than I expected."
Nathan looked slightly gentler. "You didn't flinch. You're more than most people."
Ashley smiled at him, a little, a little tiredly. "I guess I'm not that girl anymore."
Ashley was folding a blanket by the edge of the couch. She looked up. "What is it?"Mia slid the phone toward her. "Your ex-fiancé. He's all over the news."Ashley groaned, reaching for the phone. The headline blared across the top: Cindy Hart: The New Mrs. West. There was a glossy picture below of Harvey and Cindy both smiling for the cameras, her step-sister's hand glittering with a ring that looked impossibly heavy.Ashley pursed her lips. "I don't care about him anymore. Whoever he marries is none of my business."Mia arched her brows and leaned in closer. "Even if it's your step-sister?"Ashley set the phone face down on the coffee table and reclined, relaxed in her response. "Especially my step-sister."Mia stared at her for a moment. "You're serious?"Ashley gave a small nod. "I am. If Harvey thinks he can hurt me by doing this, he is wrong. And
There was a knock on the door.Ashley closed her book and got up to answer it. Her eyes grew wide as she opened it."Mia?" she exclaimed, her mouth falling open."Surprise!" Mia grinned and threw her arms out wide.Ashley wrapped her in a tight hug. "You're back! How long did you say you'd be?""I missed you too, Ash." Mia squeezed her in her arms, then pulled back and swished her hair over her shoulder. "Been doing the rounds, you know how it is. They just keep booking us in random places to wear the same clothes. Runway here, photo shoot there. Every time just the same tired smile. But it's a job and I love it."Ashley smiled softly. "I'm just glad you're back. Where have you been all this time?""Around. Mostly Europe. Milan, Paris, then a bit of Tokyo." Mia sank against the door frame, sighing. "It sounds cool, but really, it's just airports and hotels and
I want her to think I moved on.The phrase rotated in Harvey's mind like a stuck record. It haunted him from the silence of his office into the solitude of his bed at night, and when morning came, it was still there. If she thought she was not the only option, maybe she would feel the squeeze. Maybe she would see what she was losing. Maybe she would come back.He envisioned it like a chess move, one piece nudged forward to force another into position. Show her what she could miss. Make her jealous. Make her doubt. If she saw him with someone else, she would not be able to pretend she did not care. And if she cared, then wooing her would be easy. Harvey told himself it was strategy. He refused to call it fear. He refused to admit it was spite.But who?Harvey slumped back in his chair, pressing fingers hard against the sides of his temples. The lights in the office cast long shadows across the
Harvey couldn't sleep that night. He lay awake, restless and angry. The sheets were bunched at his knees and ankles. The light from the streetlamps bled in through the blinds, spilling on the ceiling, mocking him. When he closed his eyes, he saw Ashley. But it was not the Ashley who used to smile and lean back against him. It was the Ashley who stood in front of him. Fire in her eyes and her voice. Telling him no. He saw the way she pushed herself away in the office. He saw the pity in her eyes when she told him that he had to stop.And behind her, always behind her, was Nathan. The dark presence that never left her side. Every time Nathan's name crossed his mind, Harvey clenched his jaw.And then there was Mark, smirking at the bar, another man chasing her like carrion.Harvey rolled onto his side, tossing and turning. He reached for his phone on the table. Her number was still saved on it, glowing on
The lights in the apartment were bright against the dark of night. Nathan carried Ashley's bag inside and set it on the table. She held her laptop under her arm as she walked towards the couch. She sank into the cushions and opened the laptop. It cast an even, soft glow across her features."So," she said, looking up at him. "About the counteragent. I think I have figured something out."Nathan sat down opposite her and leaned forward on his knees. "What?"Ashley swiveled the laptop so he could see. Rows of graphs shifted next to her notes on the screen. "The aerosol stays effective because the particles can hang in the air for hours. If I change the weight of the suspension, even just a little, it falls apart faster. The molecule I tested binds to the carrier. It drags it down. Instead of floating and drifting, it falls in less than fifteen minutes." She looked up, nervous and excited. "It's not perfec
"It's a counteragent," she said, words tripping over themselves. "It can disperse the aerosol so it doesn't remain airborne. In the model it reduces lethality by over sixty percent. It is not complete but it is real. Nathan, this can work." For a few seconds, she thought he had not heard her. But she realized he was not alone. He must have his father with him. At last Nathan said, "Good. Hold for me. I will be there." "Hold for you?" She repeated in disbelief. "No, that is not required. I can—" "No," he interrupted, his voice gentle but unwavering. "You do not have to go anywhere. I will be there in twenty minutes." Ashley exhaled shakily. "Alright. Be quick." The line was dead. She placed her phone on the bench and stared at the screen again, hands clenching at the edge of the table. She mumbled, "It worked." At the Pentagon, Nathan carefully put his phone down on the desk. Hi