Ashley leaned one hand on her desk, the other holding her phone to her ear. She scoffed softly, glancing sideways before shutting her eyes to gather her patience.

"Aly," she said firmly, her tone steady despite the brewing tension. "Can you calm down? Az wouldn't even—"

"You don't understand, Ash," Alysse interrupted, her voice sharp and frantic on the other end. "Az is mad. I mean mad-mad. He could hurt you!"

Ashley sighed, her grip tightening on the phone. "He's our older brother, Aly. Whatever he's feeling, it's valid. Let's not invalidate him for that."

"Ash," Alysse pleaded, her tone softer but still urgent. "I'm on my way to your firm. Please don't make this worse. Azriel and Natalie are on their way too—and Az is furious."

Ashley opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of her office door slamming open cut her off. She sighed, already knowing who it was. "They're here," she muttered into the phone. "Come up when you get here." Ending the call, she placed her phone down on the desk and turned to face the intruders.

Azriel stormed into the room, his face dark with anger, while Natalie trailed behind him, desperately trying to hold him back. Ashley calmly walked around her desk and leaned against it, crossing her arms.

"Az," she greeted, nodding slightly in acknowledgment before letting her gaze shift to Natalie, who looked torn between fear and guilt.

Azriel's voice was cold, his tone tinged with bitterness as he demanded, "What is this, Ash?" He glanced at Natalie, then back at Ashley, his expression tightening. "Is it true?"

Ashley sighed, rubbing the corner of her lips before tilting her head slightly. "What did your fiancée tell you?"

Azriel's jaw tightened as he swallowed hard. "She said you were her ex-lover. Is it true?"

Ashley met his glare with calm defiance. "What answer do you want, Az? The truth or a lie?"

"Just what the hell is your game, Ashley?!" Azriel shouted, his voice rising.

Ashley raised a hand, palm outward, her tone unyielding. "Nope. That won't do, Az. You don't get to yell at me just because we share the same blood." Straightening, she walked closer to him, her movements measured and deliberate.

"You want the truth?" she continued. "I'm sure Natalie here already told you the truth. Do you want me to deny it? I won't. Yes, I am your fiancée's ex-lover. Ex, Az. It's in the past. So, what's the problem?"

Azriel scoffed bitterly, his shoulders stiff with tension. "You knew all along, and you never told me?"

Ashley rolled her eyes, leaning her head back slightly. "Do I have to spell it out for you? You have all the resources in the world to check the background of the women in your life, yet you never did that with Natalie?" She let out a dry laugh. "Honestly, Az, that's on you."

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Azriel snapped, his voice laced with frustration. "You should've told me! I'm your brother—I have a right to know everything!"

Ashley's expression hardened as she straightened, meeting his glare head-on. "Oh, now you care about 'knowing everything,' Az? Really?" She clicked her tongue. "When I left the family all those years ago, did you bother to know what was happening in my life? Did you even try to find out where I was? No, you didn't. So don't come in here demanding answers now."

Azriel opened his mouth to retort, but Ashley cut him off, her voice sharper now.

"Ever since you met Natalie," she began, "you've been acting like you care about the family. Like you're suddenly the golden brother who gives a damn. Wow, what an improvement. But let's not pretend you've always been this way—"

Her words were abruptly cut off as Azriel's hand struck her cheek with a loud slap.

Ashley scoffed, turning her head back to glare at him as Natalie rushed to pull Azriel away. "Az," Natalie whispered desperately, her hands tugging at his arm, but he refused to budge.

Ashley wiped the corner of her mouth with a harsh swipe, her voice dripping with contempt. "Is that all you've got, Az? Hitting women now? Wow. At this rate, I won't be surprised if you end up with another divorce."

"Enough, Ashley!" Azriel barked, his voice shaking with rage. "You keep running from your responsibilities—like when you abandoned the presidency of our company! I stepped up when you walked away, and you never heard a word of complaint from me!"

"That's because I never wanted to be president!" Ashley snapped back. "I left because all of you kept dictating my life, and it was suffocating! And don't even bring up the company when you're the one who pushed for that ridiculous arranged marriage in the first place!"

"How dare—"

"Az, stop!" Alysse's voice rang out as she burst into the room, placing herself between Ashley and Azriel like a shield.

Azriel scoffed, his glare burning into Ashley. "Let me remind you, Ash," he said bitterly, "that until you get married, those arranged proposals won't stop coming. And you're still the president of the company, whether you like it or not. I'm just the acting CEO."

Ashley's voice was ice cold as she replied, "I don't give a damn about you or the company. Go ahead and burn it to the ground for all I care. Just get the hell out of my life."



Leaning her head back against the couch's headrest, Ashley pressed a cold compress against her swollen cheek. She let out a scoff, side-eyeing her younger sister before rolling her eyes and sitting up straighter, the cold compress still in hand.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Aly? I don't want that position," Ashley muttered, her tone sharp. "I'm not going back to the States or stepping foot in the Zurich office to manage the company. End of discussion."

"Ash," Alysse sighed, placing a gentle hand on her sister's thigh. "Can't you at least try? Please?" she pleaded softly. "Out of the three of us, you know our parents have always had the highest hopes for you."

Ashley shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "At what cost, Aly?" she countered, her gaze dropping to the floor. "You know what happened in high school. I left Switzerland for the States, took courses, and tried managing the company. And for what? Father constantly breathing down my neck, dictating every little move. It was exhausting. I'm done being their puppet."

Alysse clicked her tongue, frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior. "Ashley, our father is getting old, and—"

"And what? It's not my responsibility to take over the company. It's not any of our responsibilities!" Ashley snapped, her voice rising. "We have our own lives to live."

Alysse rubbed her temples, letting out a dry chuckle. "It's been over a decade since you left home, Ash. You haven't visited since. You don't hear from them—"

"But you're always calling me, aren't you?" Ashley interrupted with a scoff. Shaking her head, she leaned back. "Sorry, Aly. I don't want the presidency. I don't want to be respected for a title I never wanted."

"I know," Alysse replied, her voice tinged with hesitation. She swallowed hard before continuing, "But Az is right, Ash. If you don't settle down soon, they're going to force your hand. You'll have no choice but to take the position and—"

Ashley froze, her muscles tensing as she stared at her sister. "You're joking," she said, her voice barely audible.

Alysse shook her head, her laugh bitter. "I wish I were," she muttered. "I don't want to see my only sister forced into a marriage, but... that's the reality. You know the expectations that come with our status in Samoa. We're expected to present ourselves a certain way, to—"

"I'm in a relationship, Aly!" Ashley blurted, standing abruptly with her hands on her hips. "They can't force me to settle down."

Alysse blinked in surprise. "What?" she asked, tilting her head. "Since when?"

Ashley hesitated, biting her lower lip. "It's... recent. About a couple of months ago," she admitted, pacing nervously.

"With who?" Alysse asked, her curiosity piqued.

Ashley stopped in her tracks, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mia."

"Mia?" Alysse repeated, standing up in shock. "Mia Tran? The actress? The one I saw at your place?" Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Ashley nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. "I meant to tell you—"

"Wow," Alysse murmured, running a hand through her hair. "She agreed to be in a relationship with you? You didn't... force her or anything, right?"

Ashley shot her a glare. "Do I look like the type to force someone into a relationship?"

Alysse chuckled softly. "Relax, I'm kidding. But she's young, isn't she? I think I'm even older than her. What if you just asked her to marry you? That could—"

"What marriage?"

Both women turned toward the door, startled. Mia stood there, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Mia," Ashley stammered, her eyes wide as she glanced between Mia and Alysse. She cleared her throat, fumbling as she walked toward her. "When did you get here?"

"I just arrived," Mia replied, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I saw the door open and overheard you two talking about marriage. What's going on?"

"I... uh..." Ashley rubbed the back of her neck, struggling for words.

"Are you getting married?" Mia asked, her voice low but direct, her gaze locked onto Ashley's. The idea twisted something painfully inside her.

"What? No!" Ashley said quickly, cupping Mia's face in her hands. "I'm not getting married. Not unless you want me to marry someone else," she added in a near whisper.

Mia's brows furrowed as she reached for Ashley's hands. "Why would you think I'd want you to marry someone else?" she asked, her voice soft but tinged with hurt. She scoffed lightly, shaking her head. "Has it ever crossed your mind to just marry me instead?"

Ashley blinked, her breath catching at the question. She hadn't expected that. "I... what?" she stammered. "I mean... would you want to be tied down to someone so much older than you?"