chapter 7

The moment the black Escalade rolled through the towering iron gates of the Ashford estate, Maureen felt her chest tighten. She had been gone for three long years.

The familiar fountain stood proudly in the center of the circular driveway, illuminated by soft lights. Beyond it stretched the grand mansion she had once called home. Every stone and every carefully manicured garden looked exactly as she remembered.

Nothing had actually changed, but yet it felt so different to her.

The vehicle had barely come to a stop before several servants hurried out of the mansion. One look at her stepping out of the car was all it took.

"Miss Maureen!" The cry came from Mrs. Lewis, the elderly housekeeper who had practically helped raise her.

The older woman rushed down the stairs with tears already streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh my goodness... it really is you."

Before Maureen could react, she found herself wrapped in a tight embrace. The familiar scent of lavender nearly broke her. For years, she had imagined this moment.

She had imagined coming home and feeling relieved. Instead, she felt as though someone had tied a knot around her heart.

Other servants quickly gathered around her. Some were smiling, while tears welled up in others eyes. One young maid covered her mouth with both hands.

"You've finally come back. We thought you hated us."

"Don't say that," another servant immediately scolded. "Miss Maureen could never hate us."

Despite everything weighing on her chest, a small laugh escaped her lips. "I missed all of you too."

Mrs. Lewis pulled back just enough to look at her properly.The older woman's expression immediately changed. "You've lost a lot of weight, Maureen."

Another servant shook his head. "Forget her weight. Look at those dark circles under her eyes."

"Exactly. She looks exhausted."

"You people are impossible," Michael said with amusement as he stepped out of the vehicle.

The servants immediately snapped out of their emotional time. " Master Michael."

Michael waved dismissively. "Stop treating me like I'm the scary one. We all know who the scary Ashford is."

Several servants immediately lowered their heads. The cheerful atmosphere vanished so quickly that Maureen didn't need to ask why.

Slowly, she turned toward the entrance of the mansion. Her father stood at the top of the marble staircase.

Richard Ashford had not changed at all.The years seemed incapable of touching him.He remained tall and imposing, dressed in a dark suit despite the late hour. His sharp features carried the same authority that had intimidated board members, politicians, and business rivals for decades.

For a moment, neither of them moved nor said a word. The servants quietly stepped aside, even Michael's smile disappeared.

The distance between father and daughter was no more than a few yards, yet it felt far greater than the three years that separated them.

Maureen had imagined this reunion countless times.

Sometimes he welcomed her home, sometimes he apologized, sometimes she apologized. But guess what? Reality was far less kind.

Richard's gaze swept over her face, his expression remained unreadable.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm. "Have you finished proving me right?"

The words hit her harder than she expected. The warmth she had felt moments ago vanished instantly.

Three years without seeing his daughter, and that was the first thing he chose to say. Maureen stared at him in disbelief before letting out a hollow laugh.

"Hello to you too, Dad."

Michael closed his eyes briefly, because he already knew where this was heading.

Richard descended the staircase slowly until he stood directly in front of her. "I asked you a question."

"And I heard it."

"Then answer."

Maureen folded her arms as the old frustration immediately returned.The same one that had driven her away three years ago. "You still think this is about winning and losing?"

Richard's expression hardened. "You abandoned medical school six months before graduation."

"You mean the medical school you forced me into?"

His jaw tightened. "I gave you opportunities people would kill for."

"And I spent my entire life living according to plans I never made for myself."

The tension between them became almost unbearable. Michael rubbed his forehead and thought in his mind "Not even ten minutes home".

"Can we please move this argument indoors?" he finally spoke.

Neither of them acknowledged him.

Richard's eyes never left his daughter's face. He fixed his gaze at her with a frown on his face. "I warned you exactly how this would end."

Maureen swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. "You don't know anything about how it ended."

For the first time, something flickered across Richard's face.

A brief crack in the armor. Gone so quickly she almost thought she imagined it.

Then he asked quietly, "Don't I?"

The question caught her off guard, because for one terrifying second, she wondered if he somehow knew about her marriage to Damien. But Richard said nothing more.

And Maureen wasn't willing to reveal anything