126. An Uninvited Guest (3)

Ashley looked down at her food, but her appetite had slipped away. Not because she wasn’t hungry, but because something inside her was stirring—some memory of safety, of comfort, from a lifetime ago.

Once, she had trusted Mark with her whole heart. Once, he had been her home.

She thought she had buried that girl. But now, she felt her awakening again—just a little—blinking in the warmth of Mark’s words.

But no matter how warm his presence felt, Ashley couldn't allow herself to be swept away by old emotions. She is married now. She had a husband—even if the marriage was nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion, a transaction dressed in vows. The ring on her finger still held weight, even if the love behind it had long evaporated into silence. 

Letting herself lean into Mark’s comfort would only blur the lines she’d tried so hard to keep. And once those lines were crossed, there would be no turning back. She couldn't afford more damage—not to her heart, not to what was left of her dignity.

“Your husband… why haven’t you told him yet? Shouldn’t he be the first to know what happened to you?”

Ashley hesitated. Her eyes flickered slightly, unfocused, as if trying to find clarity in a fog.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I guess… I just don’t want to disrupt his work because of me. Later. I’ll tell him once he gets home.”

Mark’s expression didn’t shift, but something in his gaze darkened—just slightly.

“You know, you really should tell him about what happened tonight. The situation isn’t stable, and it may not be safe for you. You can’t afford to take risks by being alone. I hate the thought of anything bad happening again, but just in case it does… someone needs to be by your side.”

Ashley nodded faintly, her eyes cast downward, her silence more like a reflex than agreement. A mechanical gesture she hoped would end the conversation—because deep down, she had no intention of doing what Mark suggested.

She truly didn’t know whether she should tell Josh or not. Even if she did, she had no idea whether it would be tonight, tomorrow, or some vague time in the future. She needed to think—really think—once her mind was clear enough to weigh what Josh might do with the company shares promised by her parents.

Because from the bits she had overheard, something troubling might already be happening to the company. And Ashley would find out what it was—completely, thoroughly—before she decided whether Josh deserved her trust or not.

Her instinct was telling her one thing clearly. If there was anyone in this place capable of hurting her, it would be Josh. Because there was no one else here with a history of betraying her. No one but him.

Meanwhile, Mark was still watching her, his fingers resting quietly beside his half-empty plate. 

Ashley didn’t say anything, nor did she make it obvious. But from her demeanor—subtle as it was—Mark could sense that something was off.

“I’m not going to ask what’s going on between you and Josh,” he said. “That’s not my place. But I will say this—if something feels wrong… trust that feeling. Don’t silence it just to keep the peace.”

Ashley exhaled shakily. There was a truth in his words that unsettled her. She looked up at him again. “Why are you being so kind to me, Mark?”

His answer came without hesitation.

“Because it’s you.”

Simple. Honest. Devastating.

Ashley’s throat tightened. For the first time in days, she felt tears sting at the corners of her eyes. But they didn’t fall. She wouldn’t let them. 

Occasionally, they exchanged glances. Small smiles. Echoes of what once was.

Ashley knew this wouldn’t fix everything. Mark couldn’t solve the chaos unraveling around her. But his presence had anchored her, even if just for tonight.

And sometimes, that was enough.

“Ashley?” he said after a beat.

“Hm, yeah?”

“I meant it. I won’t let you face this alone.”

She nodded, a faint, almost imperceptible motion. But inside, it felt like a vow.

But suddenly, the sound of the main door opening cut through the room. Josh walked in—and immediately froze, stunned and confused, his gaze falling on Ashley and Mark sitting together at the dining table inside his home.

For a few seconds, Josh was at a loss for words. He stammered, unable to release the explosive burst of questions building in his chest. His emotions and thoughts swirled into a storm of disbelief. The sight before him was something he had never expected to witness—not even in a nightmare.

Slowly, he stepped toward the dining area, his brows furrowed, trying to formulate the right words to hurl in the heat of this infuriating moment.

Ashley looked startled, frozen in her seat. Her eyes followed Josh’s movements with visible fear and tension, as if anticipating a blow.

Mark, in contrast, remained calm. He felt no guilt—after all, he hadn’t done anything wrong. His body language was loose, natural. Without hesitation, Mark stood up and raised one hand casually to greet Josh.

But Josh met the gesture with a sharp, unfriendly stare. He didn’t return the greeting. Instead, he looked at Mark with obvious disdain, his tone harsh as he turned his anger toward Ashley.

“What is this, Ashley? What am I looking at? You're eating—with another man—alone—in our house?”

Mark quickly caught on to the misunderstanding. “Hey man, it’s not what you think. I came here to help… to look after her.”

Josh’s expression twisted further. “Look after her?!”

Mark instinctively closed his eyes for a second, realizing how badly he had just misspoken, unintentionally worsening Josh’s assumption.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. What I meant is—Ashley shouldn’t be alone,” he clarified, his voice rising slightly with urgency. But his panic over being misunderstood made his words come out jumbled. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“You don’t need to blow this out of proportion,” Mark continued, trying to steady his voice. “This situation needs clarity, not chaos. We need to talk, man. We need a clear head to get through this.”

Then Mark seemed to suddenly remember, and turned to Ashley. “Right… you haven’t told him yet, have you?”

Josh’s fury flared. “Told me what?! What’s going on that he knows—but I don’t?!”

He growled the question toward Ashley, who could only sigh tiredly in response. She turned her face away, avoiding both Josh and Mark, her shoulders heavy with the weight of it all.

The air between the three of them thickened—charged with the kind of electricity that crackled before a storm.

Josh’s jaw clenched as he took a step closer, his eyes now locked on Mark like a predator sizing up a threat. “You’re in my house. Sitting at my table. Eating with my wife. And now you’re trying to explain yourself?”

Mark didn’t flinch. He stood tall, his expression calm but not submissive. “Yes, I am. Because I didn’t come here to sneak around. I came because Ashley needed help. And clearly—” he glanced toward Ashley, who still hadn’t moved “—she couldn’t rely on you.”

That landed like a slap.

Josh’s fists curled at his sides. His voice dropped to a low growl, deadly calm. “Say that again.”

“I don’t need to.” Mark stepped forward too, the table now only inches between them. “You’re angry, fine. You think this looks bad? Fine. But your pride is clouding your sense. Ashley is shaken—she’s been through things you don’t even know about. And what were you doing, man? Where were you when she needed you most?”

Josh’s face twitched. “You have no right to ask me that.”

Ashley finally stood, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Stop it—both of you.”

But neither man seemed to hear her.