‘It’s not about who’s afraid of who. If you two start something, you’ll both look like fools, and you’ll embarrass Mirabelle. If you actually care about her, don’t put her in that position. She’s Mrs Laurent now—Ashton’s wife. Understand?’ Naomi’s tone was firm and final.
Rhys looked at me, waiting.
‘I came here with you tonight to keep my word,’ I said quietly. ‘But I never promised you anything more.’ For original chapters go to novelꞁire.net
He let out a heavy sigh. ‘Fine. I’ll leave if that’s what you want. I don’t want to make things difficult for you. But don’t forget—tonight you came here as MY date.’
I watched him go, his retreating figure looking lonely, and a little sad.
‘What’s wrong? Feeling sorry for him?’ Naomi asked.
I shook my head. ‘No... I just feel a bit conflicted. I was his date tonight, and in the end, it almost feels like I abandoned him.’
‘So what if you were his date? You’re Ashton’s wife. And did you see him today? He was incredible. He stood up for you and didn’t hold back with Genevieve, all because of you.’
‘I wonder why he did it.’ Why the sudden change in attitude towards Genevieve?
‘Why don’t you ask him yourself?’ Naomi nodded toward where Ryan and Ashton were approaching.
As soon as they sat down, she didn’t waste any time. ‘Ashton, are you really just going to let what happened slide? Aren’t you going to make things right for your wife? I’m not talking about tonight. I’m talking about when Genevieve almost killed Mirabelle.’
‘Darling... you like smoked salmon, don’t you? Have some more, and maybe a little less talk,’ Ryan said, giving Naomi a meaningful look.
‘What? I think it’s better to clear things up sooner rather than later. Then they can both move on. Otherwise, it’s just going to fester.’ She turned to Ashton. ‘Don’t you think?’
‘I’ll handle it,’ he said.
‘How, exactly?’ Naomi pressed.
‘Let it go, Naomi. What can he really do? Make her jump in the lake too?’ I said with a sarcastic smile.
‘I think that’s a great idea. She pushed you in, she should know what it feels like. An eye for an eye. No—make it both eyes. People like her don’t learn until it’s too late. She thinks she can do whatever she wants because everyone protects her. It’s time she faced consequences.’
‘I just hope certain people can actually go through with it,’ she added, glancing pointedly at Ashton.
‘There you go again.’ Ryan tried to distract her. ‘Alright, that’s enough. Here. Eat something. I’ll get you more if you want.’
Naomi shot him a look. ‘Fine. I’ll shut up.’
So, once again, the issue of Genevieve remained unsolved.
I should feel thrilled at the thought of possessing one of the most beautiful rubies in the world, but no amount of jewellery could cheer me up now.
When the party ended, I walked with Ashton to his car, neither speaking the entire way.
His phone rang. ‘Yes?’
‘Ashton, have you no conscience? So what if Genevieve made a mistake? She’s young and foolish. Shouldn’t you be protecting her, giving her a chance to learn? Instead, you hand her over to the police? How could you do that? You’re ungrateful, and you’ll get what’s coming to you!’ The voice on the other end was a middle-aged woman’s, furious, loud enough for me to hear every word.
‘She did wrong. She deserves to face the consequences.’
‘How could you be so heartless? Have you forgotten what happened back then—’
Ashton cut her off. ‘Stop bringing up the past. I’ve indulged her and protected her in other things, but she crossed a line when she targeted my wife. I’m done with her, and I’ve done more than enough for your family over the years.’
‘And what of it? You owe us. You could never repay that debt in your lifetime. How can you live with yourself? Doesn’t it eat at you?’
Ashton’s brow furrowed deeply.
‘Can you even sleep at night? Don’t you have nightmares?’ the woman’s angry voice rang out again.
I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but we were standing close and it was impossible not to hear.
What had happened between Ashton and Genevieve?
Did he owe her something?
Is that why he could never bring himself to be harsh towards her?
The phone call—no, the one-sided harangue—went on.
I’d never seen that look on Ashton’s face before.
It wasn’t anger, or resentment, or disgust. More like a mix of all three.
Seeing Ashton so torn made my heart ache.
Had I pushed him too hard when I demanded he deal with Genevieve?
Should I have been the one to back off?
After he ended the call, Ashton squeezed his eyes shut.
I could see how much he was struggling. I reached over and gently took his hand. ‘Ashton...’
He let out a heavy sigh, opened his eyes, and pulled me into his arms. ‘Mira...’
‘I—’ Whatever I wanted to say was lost in the kiss.
One arm wrapped around my waist, the other cupping the back of my head, he kissed me with a raw mix of need and feeling.
I slowly melted into it, lost to everything else, until my arms found their way around his neck and I kissed him back.
When we pulled apart, I leaned against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
We both understood what the kiss meant—an apology, his way of saying sorry.
But I didn’t need his apology; I needed the truth.
Why couldn’t he just tell me what was going on?