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Semua Bab The Wife Swap: Bab 181 - Bab 190

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Chapter 181: The grip of jealousy

Ashley’s POVI needed space. I needed to be anywhere but here, surrounded by people whose curious gazes and polite small talk were the last things I could handle right now. The party, with its laughter and clinking glasses, faded into the background as I hurried down a corridor, away from the main hall. The air here was cooler, untouched by the warmth of the party, and it felt like a small relief as I moved farther away.I walked without a clear destination, just needing to put as much distance between myself and the buzzing crowd as possible. Eventually, I found myself in an unused hall at the back of the venue. It was quiet here—eerily so. The room was dim, lit only by the soft, silvery glow of moonlight streaming through tall windows. The light filtered through the heavy drapes, casting shadows across the floor. It felt like a forgotten place, untouched by the night’s festivities, and in that moment, it was exactly what I needed.I leaned against the cool wall, the solid feel of it

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Chapter 182: Are you the stalker?

Ashley’s POVThomas’s uneven steps echoed in the dimly lit hall, each staggered footfall sending a spike of unease through me. The corridor felt endless now, the way back to the main hall a distant memory as I found myself moving backward, instinctively trying to put as much space between us as I could. His eyes, glassy and unfocused, locked onto mine, and despite the alcohol clearly dulling his senses, there was a sharpness there—a raw, almost desperate intensity that sent chills down my spine.I tried to step past him, angling my body to slip by, but his arm shot out, blocking my path. I flinched, swallowing hard as he leaned closer. “Wait,” he slurred, his voice a mix of frustration and pleading. “Just—just wait a second, will you? I need to talk to you.”I forced a calm expression, even as my heart raced. “Thomas, you’re drunk. This isn’t the time or place—”“Time or place?” he repeated bitterly, a mirthless laugh escaping his lips. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, gripping t

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Chapter 183: A mask of fury

Ashley’s POVI studied his face, searching for any sign of deceit, but all I saw was a deep, raw hurt. “I’ve been receiving gifts—tickets, books, notes. Things that seem...off. Unsettling. I thought maybe it was you, trying to get my attention.”His expression darkened, the hurt in his eyes replaced by a flare of indignation. “You think I’d do something like that?” He sounded wounded, his voice rising with a mixture of disbelief and anger. “I may be a lot of things, Ashton, but I’m not a stalker. If I wanted to talk to you, I’d talk to you. I wouldn’t hide behind creepy gifts.”I hesitated, taken aback by the vehemence in his response. He was clearly offended by the accusation, and for a brief moment, I almost believed him. “I’m sorry,” I said softly, trying to placate him. “I just needed to know.”He shook his head, the anger slowly fading, replaced once more by that look of deep, aching sadness. “No,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “I didn’t send you anything because I fig

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Chapter 184: More than anyone

Andreas’s POVI stood in the corner of the ballroom, my gaze fixed on Ashley as she laughed at something Kennedy said, and my fists clenched and unclenched at my sides as I debated whether I should go back to her. Just as I took a step forward, a familiar figure moved into my line of sight.Sydney.She returned from the bar where she’d gone to get us drinks with the confidence of someone who knew she wouldn’t be turned away, her smile wide but with a sharp edge I recognized too well. The gleam in her eyes hadn’t changed; it was that same calculating look she always had when she wanted something from me. I felt a flicker of irritation, but I kept my face neutral as she closed the distance between us, handing me a glass as she clinked hers against mine."Andreas," she said, her voice a smooth, practiced purr. "It’s been too long since we’ve really talked."I gave her a curt nod, forcing a polite smile. "I didn’t expect to see you tonight." It was true; I hadn’t seen her name on the gues

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Chapter 185: Seeds of Doubt

Andreas’s POVSydney’s eyes widened, the realization hitting her like a physical blow. Her lips parted, but no words came out. For once, she seemed genuinely at a loss. Her face crumpled, a look of disbelief mingling with the betrayal. "I’m glad that you’ve finally got that figured out."The anguish in her voice was palpable, and for a moment, I felt a pang of guilt. Not for loving Ashley, but for the hope I had let Sydney hold on to for far too long. It was my fault as much as hers. I had never given her a definitive answer, never shut the door completely. I had let her linger in the hope of something that was never going to happen."Yes," I said finally, the word heavy with finality. "It’s her."My eyes drifted back to Ashley, unable to resist the pull she had on me, like a magnet I couldn’t fight. I watched her across the ballroom, her smile polite as she spoke with Kennedy. There was a comfort between them that I couldn’t ignore, an ease in their conversation that set my teeth on

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Chapter 186: You don’t trust me

Ashley’s POVThe initial wave of relief I felt upon seeing Andreas quickly dissolved into a cold, creeping terror as he and Thomas clashed. It happened so fast that I barely had time to react. One moment, Thomas was standing too close, his drunken smirk making my skin crawl; the next, Andreas was there, shoving him hard against the wall. I could hear the sickening thud of Thomas’s back hitting the concrete, and the sheer force of it made me wince.Andreas’s face was a mask of pure, unrestrained fury. It was a side of him I had never seen, and it terrified me. He was always so composed, so in control, but now he looked like he was on the verge of losing it. His hand gripped Thomas’s collar, twisting the fabric as if he might tear it apart. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, his voice low and deadly.Thomas, despite his disheveled state, let out a taunting laugh. He wasn’t scared—if anything, he seemed to be enjoying the confrontation. His eyes, glassy from alcohol,

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Chapter 187: Broken Trust

Ashley’s POVI swallowed hard, my throat aching with the effort to speak. “Sydney,” I said, the name bitter on my tongue. “It’s clear that there’s something between you two. Perhaps because of the marriage contract, and I can’t blame you for that but are you and her still…?”“Of course not. I haven’t laid a finger on her since you entered the picture and I didn’t think to tell you because she’s not been hovering around me, or trying to do what Thomas just did. I had no idea Thomas and Ashton were having an affair and the minute you realized, you should have told me, not entertain him because you feel guilty for your sister’s actions, because that’s what this is, isn’t it? Aren’t you tired of always cleaning up her messes?”His words stung like I’d been slapped and I took a step back, my eyes widening with anger. “You don’t get to talk to me like that, Andreas. You don’t know shit about what’s been happening.”"There’s more? What else are you hiding, Ashley?" he snapped, his voice roug

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Chapter 188: The shocking return

Andreas’s POVI watched Ashley’s figure disappear into the night, my heart tightening in my chest with each step she took away from me. The argument played over and over in my mind, every word I’d said echoing in my head, and a sinking feeling started to settle in my stomach. What had I done? How could I have let jealousy overtake me like that? I’d pushed her away, said things I never meant, all because I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her to someone else.I wanted to run after her, apologize, but something inside me stopped me. The pounding in my chest was growing worse, too heavy, too familiar. A cold, sharp pain flared through me, a reminder of my deteriorating heart condition I’d been ignoring for too long. I’d been so worked up about her keeping secrets from me when I was nothing but a hypocrite who hadn’t even told her how badly my condition had gotten and that the doctor wanted me to do surgery as soon as possible.Shaking my head, I pushed the thought aside, focusing ins

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Chapter 189: I’m alive

Ashton’s POVWell, now that it’s all out of the bag, it’s safe to say that I’m alive. I never died. Faking my death was never something I expected to actually do, despite how many times I’d toyed with the idea.I always admired people who could pull off something like that. I used to watch those movies, the ones where someone just disappears, and I’d think, What would it be like? To just walk away, start fresh, without the weight of your past chasing you. I remember watching Gone Girl—I loved it, actually. I’d play it over and over, fascinated by how someone could manipulate everyone around them, even their own fate. I never imagined I’d end up doing it. But that’s what I did, isn’t it? I faked it. I left everything, including myself, behind.But here’s the thing—I’m not dead. Not physically, at least. But I might as well be. I let everyone believe I was. I wanted to vanish. I wanted to escape the mess I’d created. I thought if I could just disappear, the chaos would stop. I thought i

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Chapter 190: The price of deception

Ashton’s POVI should have told Andreas. I know I should have. But the shame...the shame was unbearable. I’d never felt guilt like that before, not even when I was conning rich men out of their money with Shawn. It was a game back then, a way to feel powerful in a world where I’d always been at someone else’s mercy. But with Andreas, it was different. He was different. He might have been cold, calculating, and distant, but he always defended me in front of his family. He valued my opinion, trusted me with decisions, and most shockingly, helped me open my own gallery—a dream I never thought would come true. He gave me something I’d never had before: a sense of stability, of worth.The more I realized how much I valued him, the more I feared losing him. Because I knew that if he ever found out the truth—about my past, about the stalker—I’d lose everything. He’d look at me the way all the others did when they realized I’d played them. I’d be nothing but a liar, a fraud. And I couldn’t be

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