When Ashley was caught the first time, any chance of reconciliation she could have made was thrown out the window.
Lucian forbade her from leaving the mansion, and if she wanted to shop, she could only invite designers to come to her. However, to make her less lonely, he allowed her sister to visit because somehow, he had heard that the two of them were pretty "close."
As for June, he was beaten to the brink of death and sent back to where he came from. June had been caught at the train station after he dropped her off. That was what she heard.
For Lucian, after that incident, he stayed home for a full month. And when he needed to leave, he would either take her with him or make her watch just how violent he could be, as if it were his way of taming her.
But Ashley never gave up on escaping.
She tried again, even though she knew it was foolish. But every time she tried, she was caught again, and again, and again. Each time, he took something from her until she was completely isolated from everything.
And before she knew it, five years had passed in that hell.
"Why…" Ashley sat on the edge of the bed, a pistol in her hand.
The room was dark, but the light from the open door—where Lucian stood—was enough for him to see her figure.
"Just why…" she trailed off, the life in her eyes gone. "…won't you let me go?"
That was something Ashley could never understand.
Why did he keep dragging her back here again and again? Even when Marshal showed hostility toward him and even attacked him and nearly killed him, why wouldn't he just kill her? Or let her go?
She had done everything for the past five years, but all of it had failed.
And at this point, she could only think that there was one way out.
Death.
"You…" she whispered, lifting her empty eyes to meet his exhausted ones. "…please. I'm asking you one last time. Just… let me go."
She didn't expect anything from him. Ashley knew that whether she died or not, he would never let her walk out of this place.
For some reason, she caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes as he studied the pistol she held against her temple.
"Okay."
"Huh?"
Lucian walked closer to her, limping from the injury inflicted by her own father. He reached for the pistol in her hand and lowered his head until it was level with hers.
"Fine," he whispered. "I'll let you go. I understand now."
Ashley held her breath as she looked at him. It was the first time she had truly looked at him up close. Only then did she realize how exhausted and weak he looked.
It was as though she were staring at someone else entirely.
A small smile formed on his face as he lowered the pistol from her temple. He cupped her cheek and brushed it gently with his thumb, looking at her quietly before straightening and limping out of the bedroom.
He stopped by the door, and without looking back, he said, "Gustav, send Miss Ashley away from here."
That was the last thing Ashley heard from him.
And the last time she saw her husband.
Because that night, Lucian finally let her go.
He had his right-hand man, Gustav, take her to the airport, sending her away with a new identity and a wad of cash. She was told they would announce her death so Marshal wouldn't come looking for her.
At first, it felt like a dream.
Ashley even thought it was just another game he had started. Once she grew comfortable, he would be standing at her doorstep to drag her back again.
So she kept moving from one place to another.
But one year had passed since she left Dominion, and not even a shadow of him appeared.
Not even Marshal.
Not even Scott.
"Maybe… he really let me go," she whispered while sitting alone in a quiet park.
"For the past five years, all I wanted was to leave him," she murmured, recalling the exhausted look Lucian had when he last saw her. "But… now that I'm out of that place, why do I keep thinking about him?"
Ashley shook her head and pulled out her phone, standing from the bench to walk back home.
But as she walked slowly, a message suddenly appeared on the screen.
It was from an unknown number.
The message was clear.
[The Don was assassinated. You have to move away. They'll target you now that Dominion has fallen and no one is left to protect you.]
Her brows furrowed in confusion.
Everything about the message confused the hell out of her.
Why?
Because she had never imagined Lucian dying.
But before she could think further, a sudden stab pierced her abdomen without hesitation.
Ashley's breath hitched as someone pulled her into what looked like an embrace, twisting the knife in her gut before pulling it out and stabbing her again.
She couldn't even react. She could only clutch the attacker's shoulder.
The person wore a black hoodie.
"You…" Blood climbed up her throat as she tried to speak, but he pulled away and shoved her aside before walking off.
Ashley hit the ground with a loud thud, gasping for air.
Her hand pressed against her stomach, but blood kept pouring out, soaking her clothes.
All that struggle, she thought as her body began to go into shock.
More blood spilled onto the ground as she forced herself to roll onto her back.
Blood slid from the corners of her mouth as her eyes slowly began to close, her consciousness slipping away like the blood draining from her body.
But before she could completely lose consciousness, something cold touched her cheek.
Using the last of her strength, Ashley forced her eyes open.
It's… snowing.
White flakes drifted down from the sky. Ashley stared at them and the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile.
It's so beautiful, she thought as the life slowly faded from her eyes.
What a pathetic life.
All her life, she had struggled.
Even before she was born, her father had wanted her dead. But they thought she was a boy. And since Marshal wanted a son, she lived.
Since then, she had been struggling to survive.
But now, everything ended just like that.
How pathetic, indeed.
Ashley let out a weak chuckle as her eyes closed.
But somehow, in that moment, Lucian's face—and the boy from that mansion—flashed through her mind.
Why… am I thinking of them now?
*
*
*
Just why…
"Are you going to behave now?"
Huh?
Ashley forced her eyes open, her vision blurry. Out of instinct, she shook her head.
"Good." He smirked. "Don't upset me again."
His hot breath brushed against her neck as he whispered, "The next time you try running away again, it won't end with just this."
Confusion throbbed in her head, and before she knew it, she blurted out,
"Prick."
Like the sadist she remembered, he chuckled and continued what he was doing.
Meanwhile, there was only one thought running through her mind.
How… am I back here?