Semua Bab The Wife Swap: Bab 31 - Bab 40

Ashley's POV"Nothing?" Liv's voice echoed through the phone as I stepped out of the house. I inhaled sharply as I made myself comfortable in the backseat, a knot tightening in my stomach. The thought of having to pretend in front of Andreas and his family again filled me with dread. I was already trying and failing where Andreas alone was concerned, not to mention his family which made me feel like I was a sheep amid wolves. Adam, my driver, nodded in greeting as I slammed the door shut. I wanted to ask him to just hand over the keys to me because having a driver felt a bit excessive, and quickly remembered that he would probably politely decline since he was here on Andreas’ orders. "Nothing," I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. I looked out the window, watching as the city passed by. The buildings seemed to blur together, my mind racing with thoughts of Ashton. After Andreas had dropped that bomb about us having dinner at his parent's house and left, I'd practically ransacke

Ashley’s POVAs the makeup artist left, I reached for my phone, my heart pounding in my chest when I saw that I had a missed call from Faye. I quickly dialed her number, my fingers trembling slightly. "Faye," I said, heart in my mouth, "Have you heard anything?" "I'm sorry, Ashley. I haven't been able to get any information," Faye responded, her voice filled with concern. "How about you?" I sighed, the weight of my worry pressing down on me. "I went to the gallery today. But I didn't find anything,"Faye was quiet for a moment and I thought she'd hung up until she spoke again, "You should probably try to file a stolen phone report," she proposed. I nodded, my heart sinking as the dreary reality of the situation started to draw even closer. "I'm thinking about doing that. If I don't get any news tomorrow from the airline, I'll confess everything to Andreas." Faye gasped. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I thought you were going to wait till next week to hear from them," she asked

Ashley’s POVI did a double take as I took in the interior of the mansion, my mouth falling open in awe. The grand, double-height entrance hall was decorated with detailed marble floors and towering columns. Moonlight streamed through stained glass windows, and a grand staircase, spiraling up to the second floor, dominated the center of the room.As Andreas and I were led towards the dining hall, I couldn't help but wonder if this had initially been built as a castle and then remodeled, or if the architect was simply that talented. The mansion was a testament to the power of affluence. I could only imagine my sister’s face the first time she had visited here. I was sure that she would mentally kick her feet up, giddy that she had finally gotten the Cinderella lifestyle that she used to talk about all the time when we were kids. As we drew closer to our destination, the awe that had gripped at the beauty of this place turned into anxiety, my stomach tightening into knots.When we arriv

Ashley’s POVAs I wandered through the hallway looking for a restroom, it felt like the walls were starting to move or perhaps it was because I was suddenly feeling dizzy, overwhelmed by the anxiety attack that had just hit me in the presence of Andreas and his entire family. I was lost, and disoriented, and my mind was racing as I struggled to comprehend that a new problem had just arisen as if Ashton being missing was not enough. I had no single idea what this anniversary thing was about but from Amarinth and Adam’s retort at what Alfred had said, it was a big thing and I certainly could not accept to do such a thing, especially with Ashton yet to be found. I had to tell Andreas the truth about everything as soon as possible. Realizing that I had spent so much time thinking that I hadn’t been focusing on my surroundings, I looked around, wondering which path to take back and I was about to break down in tears when Andreas appeared, reaching for my hand and pulling me into a large,

Ashley’s POVWhen we finally entered the room, the conversations came to an abrupt halt. Every eye turned to us, and the weight of their gazes was almost unbearable. I forced myself to stand tall, even as my heart threatened to burst out of my chest.Clearing my throat, I mustered up a small, apologetic smile. "I’m so sorry for disappearing like that," I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "It seems... it’s my time of the month, and it caught me off guard."I saw the understanding nods, the polite expressions that flickered across their faces. Except for Amarinth. She sat back in her chair, a sly smile playing on her lips, and then she snorted—a sharp, dismissive sound that cut through the tension like a knife."A shame," Amarinth said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I hope you aren't too disappointed by this, darling. Just try harder again next month."Her words hit me like a slap, and I had to fight to keep my composure. I knew she was trying to provoke me, to make me feel smal