125. An Uninvited Guest (2)

Not long after, her phone vibrated again. A short message from Mark.

I’m at the lobby.

Ashley exhaled softly, then stood up. The weight in her chest hadn’t disappeared, but the simple presence of someone else—someone who knew her—offered an odd sort of steadiness.

She reached for the thin knitted cardigan hanging behind the door and stepped out of her room, walking down the stairs. Her hand searched the pocket of her pants to make sure the elevator access card was still there. Once in front of the private elevator, she tapped the card, and the metal door slid open with a quiet hiss and she entered.

Mark stood not far from the entrance after the elevator arrived. His silhouette is upright, both hands full of food bags. When he saw Ashley approaching, his shoulders dropped slightly. His face softened, relief etched into every line of his face.

“Hi,” Ashley greeted softly, almost unsure whether her voice could reach him.

Mark nodded, returning her greeting with a gentle smile, though his eyes didn’t stop scanning her—searching, observing, as if trying to assess just how broken she might be beneath the surface.

“Are you sure you’re feeling better?” he asked, voice laced with worry he didn’t bother to hide.

Ashley nodded, forcing a smile. It was a weak shield, but she needed one.

No. She wasn’t better. Not even close. Her skin still crawled with leftover panic. Her mind still looped through a thousand half-formed fears. But what was the use of saying all that? Words wouldn’t fix what she couldn’t explain. All they would do was burden someone else. And Mark… she didn’t want to burden him.

They walked together toward the private lift, accessible only with the apartment owner’s card. Ashley tapped it again, and the elevator rose with a slow but steady motion. Inside, only the sound of the motor and their breathing could be heard.

Ashley’s eyes flicked toward the plastic bags in Mark’s hands—bulging with containers and food boxes.

Mark noticed her glance and offered a half-smile. “This is our dinner. I’m starving too, so I brought enough for us and for your husband.”

Ashley blinked, a bit surprised—but also warmed. The easy honesty in his voice, the way he didn’t try to offer comfort with grand gestures or hollow reassurances… it was exactly what she needed.

Mark didn’t push. He didn’t pry. He was simply here.

Once they entered her apartment, Ashley gently gestured. “You can put it on the dining table,” she said, motioning toward the open kitchen area that flowed seamlessly into the dining and living room.

Mark followed her direction, placing everything on the dining table. 

As Mark set the food down, Ashley moved toward the kitchen drawers. She pulled out several large plates, two medium ones, some cutlery, and two glasses from the kitchen drawers.

Then, without meaning to, her gaze landed on their reflections in the large windowpane. Their forms, vague and shadowy, looked like memories floating in glass. She hesitated.

Was this a mistake?

Was letting Mark in—here, into her home, her chaos—too dangerous?

“Sorry,” she said suddenly, breaking the silence. Her voice trembled just slightly as she placed the plates on the table. “I made you go through all this trouble. Bringing food, coming here… all because of me…”

“Ashley,” he said, voice low but steady. “I was really worried. If I let you stay alone tonight, that would’ve been more trouble for me—because I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about you.”

Ashley dropped her eyes to the plates. His words didn’t ask anything of her, but they reached into the tender, aching parts she had been trying to numb all day.

She began setting the table in silence, and Mark started transferring the food from plastic containers into the serving dishes she’d laid out. It was a quiet dance—of chopsticks and boxes, of glances and memories.

There was something slightly awkward in the air. Not uncomfortable—just… tentative. As if they were relearning how to be near each other. Years had passed since they’d shared anything like this.

Finally, Mark broke the silence.

“Claire sent me pictures of the evidence before cleaning it up. I’ll find out who sent it. And I won’t stop until I do.”

Ashley turned toward him slowly, searching his face.

“Thank you…”

Mark nodded. “Claire also told me you ran into a suspicious taxi driver last night. I’m not sure if the two incidents are connected, but I’ll try to investigate everything thoroughly without missing a single possibility.”

Ashley tensed. The memory was already hazy but sharp at the edges.

“I don’t know if the two things are connected,” Ashley began to feel uncertain. “It’s all so overwhelming,  frightening, and confusing. But I don’t know whether it all means something or is just some prank. I also don’t know if all these incidents are just coincidences, or if I’m… imagining too much.”

Mark’s gaze didn’t waver.

“Maybe they’re connected. Maybe not,” he said carefully. “That’s why we need to find out. But after what happened to you at the office two days in a row? I don’t believe in coincidences, Ash. This isn’t something small.”

He set his fork down for a moment. His face tightened, serious. “And you don’t need to be afraid. You’re not alone. You have your husband. And you have me.” His eyes met hers deeply. “I promise… I’ll protect you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Those words fell like a warm blanket on a cold night. Ashley didn’t know what to say. Among the stacked doubts and lingering exhaustion, suddenly she felt like that twenty-year-old girl again, who once believed the world could be a safe place, as long as someone was willing to guard her.

Ashley might not expect anything from Josh anymore. Especially when she hadn’t told him anything yet, and didn’t even know if she would. But Mark’s sincerity, the honesty in his eyes, gave her a glimmer of hope that she wasn’t completely alone.

A faint smile grew on her lips. She knew their relationship had long ended. There was no longer an “us” between them. But Mark’s unchanged care, his quiet sincerity, made her feel… seen. Genuinely noticed.

And just for a moment, Ashley allowed herself to be carried away.