บททั้งหมดของ My Ex, My stepbrother, My Ruin: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

CHAPTER ONE Ashley's POV The day I was supposed to return to LA, I walked in on my boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend. College exams were finally over, and I was meant to head back to LA where my mom lived. But when I got to the airport, they told me my flight had been pushed because of bad weather. So, I went back to Jake's house. By the time I got there, the street was quiet. I walked towards the front door but as I raised my hand to knock, I heard a strange sound. My hands hovered above the doorknob as I pressed my ear to the door, just to make sure I wasn't imagining things. But the sound didn't stop. The muffled cries were getting louder. My heart slammed against my ribs as I slowly turned the doorknob. The door opened. I slipped off my shoes at the entrance so my steps wouldn't make a sound. The floor felt cool beneath my feet as I tiptoed inside toward the direction of the sound. There was an unmistakable rhythm echoing through the hallway, the faint slap

Ashley's POV Five years later. I stepped out of the same airport I walked into five years ago, clutching my suitcase tightly in my hand. My shoulders relaxed and a small smile formed on my lips as my eyes darted around, breathing in the crisp spring air of New York. It felt good to be back in New York… but it hurt more than I expected. I shouldn’t have thought of Jake the moment I stepped out, but I did. Just the thought of him was enough to ruin the peace I was pretending to feel. My gaze landed on the spot we had last stood in. Where I had walked out on him. But that was now in the past, and I had already moved on from it. “Excuse me, ma’am, you must be Miss Ashley,” a man dressed in a uniform said, his voice pulling me from my thoughts. I turned to him and returned his warm smile. “Yes,” I gave a slight nod. “I’m Adrian, your mother sent me here to pick you up.” He stepped forward and stretched out his hand for a handshake. I studied him for a moment. He looked too you

Ashley’s POV My body went rigid as I watched her catwalk into the living room like some over-pampered princess, heels clicking softly against the floor. She didn’t look any different from when I knew her five years ago. The same sharp, hazel eyes, and her curls, now a rich brown instead of the jet black she used to have. The color caught the light as she moved. I wondered if she’d dyed it again. She had always been obsessed with switching her hair color. Her body was still the same. Slender. And so was the fucking smile on her face. Clinging to her hand was a child. A girl, maybe five or six. I couldn’t tell exactly, but her small frame and height gave it away. She had the same almond-shaped eyes as Ava, but hers were softer and innocent, untouched by whatever darkness sat in her mother’s gaze. My eyes widened slightly as I studied the girl. One question pushed to the front of my mind. Could she be Ava and Jake’s daughter? But she had none of Jake’s features. Not even the slight

Ava's POV By the time darkness settled over the sky, everyone had fully settled in, including Ashley and William. They hadn’t come out of their room since they went in, the hallway outside theirs staying unusually still. I stepped outside to get Louisiana’s doll from the car. She had left it there earlier, too distracted to remember. The night air brushed cool against my skin as I walked over, the faint hum of crickets filling the silence. But as I reached for the door handle, I caught sight of Ashley moving toward one of the cars parked in the compound. My hand rested on the top edge of the door as I stilled, watching her without moving. The dim light from the house spilled across the driveway, casting soft shadows over her figure. After all these years, she had decided to show up in my and Jake’s lives again. She turned, like she felt my gaze, and our eyes met. Her brow lifted slightly, a silent question in it, but she didn’t say a word. No greeting. No reaction. She just reache

Ashley's POVI jerked my hand away from his instantly, the contact breaking like it burned, and turned to my mother.She stood by the door, her handbag hanging from her hand, brows drawn together, eyes sharp with unasked questions.Great. I needed a way out of this. If not, she’d start asking questions… the kind I didn’t want to answer. Jake and I’s past had to stay buried.“Mom, you’re back.” I walked toward her, forcing my steps to stay steady, the milk packet still clutched in my hand. “Jake was just helping me look for the milk. You know how I love to drink it every evening.” My voice came out light, almost casual.Her gaze slid past me to Jake, who was leaning against the refrigerator, one shoulder resting on it, hands tucked into his pockets like nothing had happened. His expression had softened.“Is that true, Jake?” she asked, a hint of suspicion in her tone. “Or is she trying to make you feel unwelcome?”Her face didn’t stay serious for long. The corner of her lips twitched s