Chapter 5.

Ashley.

My skin burns.

Humiliation wraps around me like fire as Alexa’s words hang heavy in the air. I can’t move. Can’t breathe. Air has left my lungs. I stare at her across the table, mouth slightly open, mind spinning.

She knows. How? How the hell does she know?

My sister. My awkward, clumsy, four-eyes little sister. The girl who used to trail after me like a lost puppy. The one who used to beg:

“Ashley, will you be my best friend forever?”

And I’d laugh and hug her.

That feels like another life. Now she’s sitting there, flinging secrets at me like daggers. And I’m bleeding hard from the sting of her words.

My fists clench on the table. I can’t look at my parents. Their silence is worse than shouting. My chest tightens. And Grandma? Forget it. She never had patience for me—only for golden girl Alexa. And now, she has more reason to write me off completely.

How did Alexa hear that conversation with Danny?

I was careful. I’m always careful.

Except…I wasn’t for her to have discovered this. Not that night. What else does she know?

“Ashley?”

Dad’s voice is low, but it cuts like a blade. “Is this true? You slept with Absalom?”

My heart drops. The shame claws at me. Rage follows right behind it. Alexa’s smirking. She’s actually smirking.

“Richmond—”

Mum tries, but Dad’s hand shoots up like a warning shot.

“Don’t.”

One word that cuts as ice.

I flinch. I haven’t heard that tone from him before. I’ve always been his baby. His treasure.

My throat tightens. I close my eyes, trying to silence the memory—the voice I used to cherish.

‘You are my sunshine, Ash.’

‘I’ll give you the world.’

‘I love you, my little bun.’

But that voice is gone. Replaced with disappointment. With disgust.

“You used your body… to steal from me?”

He stands, pushing his chair back so hard it screeches across the marble.

I can’t take it. I break.

“I wanted something that was mine!” I blurt. My voice cracks.

“Grandma wouldn’t make me her successor. No matter what I did. So I planned to buy the shares. All of them. If I had control of Hills Fusion, she’d have no choice—”

“You already work at Hills Fusion.”

Dad’s eyes flash. “You’re fucking senior editor of the magazine. That wasn’t enough?”

“No!”

The word bursts out. Tears follow, hot and fast.

“I wanted more. I wanted to be something! Not just the pretty daughter. Not just your shadow or Grandma’s disappointment.”

Dad’s face shifts—hurt, betrayal, something darker. I move toward him, needing something—anything.

“I’m sorry…” I whisper.

“I didn’t mean—”

“You didn’t mean to sell yourself to a man who works for me?”

His voice is sharp and broken.

“You didn’t mean to lie, to steal? You were my treasure, Ashley.”

The word were punches the air out of me.

I take a step toward him, but he raises a hand—stopping me in place.

“Don’t.”

His voice is flat. Final.

I crumble. Right there. I slap my hands over my face, sobbing into my palms. I hear his footsteps retreat, slow and loud against the marble. The sound of an ending.

I don’t look up. I don’t want to see the shame in my mother’s eyes. Or the disappointment on Grandma’s face.

But Grandma speaks.

“Even if I’d been considering you… this proves you never had what it takes.”

And then she’s gone. Mum follows. She doesn’t even glance back.

I’m alone. Well… not completely.

I lift my head slowly. Alexa is still sitting there, watching me. She looks shaken. But I don’t care. She did this.

I wipe my face with trembling fingers and look her dead in the eye.

“You think you’ve won?”

My voice is raw. Quiet. Dangerous.

Color drains from her cheeks.

Good.

“You think this is over?”

I lean in, voice like venom.

“You’ll pay for this, Alexa. I swear it.”

Then I turn and walk away. From the table. From my sister. From the last bit of love I had for her.