Sitting back in her swivel chair with her legs propped up on the desk, Ashley laced her fingers behind her head, her eyes locked on the woman standing in front of her. Neither of them blinked, their silent staring contest charged with unspoken tension.

The woman broke first, letting out a scoff as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "What is this, Ash? Aren't you even going to greet your mother?" she asked, her tone tinged with exasperation.

Ashley sighed theatrically, a grin creeping onto her face. "I mean, I could, but I won't, Mom," she quipped, swinging her legs down to the floor and standing up. She strolled over to her desk casually. "A heads-up about coming back to Switzerland would've been nice, though," she added.

Her mother tilted her head slightly, an unimpressed expression crossing her face. "And since when do I need your permission to travel?" she countered.

Ashley shrugged. "Right, because why would the great Elena Fletcher-Amosa ever think of giving her daughter a heads-up?" she said, her voice dripping with mock sarcasm. She crossed her arms.

Elena shook her head, a scoff escaping her lips. "The black sheep and the dark horse of the Amosa clan, all in one. I'm amazed you're still in one piece," she said, a teasing smile curving her lips.

Ashley leaned against the edge of her desk, her grin widening. "And yet, here I am—living life just fine without you or Dad pulling the strings." She waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway, let's skip the formalities. What do you want? If this is another plea for me to take over Aegis Global Solutions, the answer's still no."

Elena stepped closer and cupped Ashley's cheeks, squishing them gently with an amused expression. "It's been ages since I've seen your face," she cooed. "If I hadn't tricked Alysse into spilling the beans, I'd never have found you."

Ashley groaned, her voice muffled by her mother's hold. "Of course, Alysse couldn't keep her mouth shut," she muttered. Pulling her face free, she added, "But honestly, I'm impressed you even got this far. You're slipping if your fancy cybersecurity tech couldn't track me down."

Elena chuckled. "Well, it's hard to trace someone who knows all our security protocols. You've got guts, kid, I'll give you that."

"Your mistake was teaching me all the tricks," Ashley said, a playful smirk on her lips. "So, how's the almighty Samoan high-rank Manu Amosa holding up these days?" she asked, referring to her father.

Elena smirked, crossing her arms. "If you're so curious, why don't you visit the Zurich mansion and ask him yourself?"

Ashley shook her head with a laugh. "Not falling for that, Mother. I've had my fill of that trap growing up."

Before Elena could reply, a soft knock at the office door interrupted them. The door swung open, and Mia stepped in with a bright smile. "Ashley!" she said, but her voice faltered as she noticed the unfamiliar woman. "Oh, I didn't realize you were with someone," she added, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Ashley clicked her tongue, a playful grin spreading across her face. "It's fine, sugarplum," she said, walking over to Mia and slipping an arm around her waist.

Elena raised a brow, clearing her throat pointedly. "Sugarplum?" she repeated, her gaze following her daughter.

Ashley smirked, pulling Mia closer. "Yeah, sugarplum. What's wrong with that?"

Elena laughed softly, shaking her head. "Since when do you use ridiculously sweet endearments?"

Mia glanced nervously between Ashley and the woman in front of them. Ashley chuckled, the tips of her ears turning red. "I guess since I met Mia," she admitted, her voice uncharacteristically shy.

Elena's expression softened as she studied Mia. Ashley cleared her throat and gestured toward her. "Right, introductions. Mother, this is Mia," she said, her grin returning. "My fiancée."

Elena's eyes widened, her jaw dropping in shock. "Fiancée?!" she exclaimed. "Since when?"

Ashley rubbed the back of her neck, her cheeks flushing. "Uh... a couple of weeks ago? Kind of recent," she mumbled.

"Ashley Fletcher-Amosa!" Elena exclaimed, pointing a finger at her daughter. "You got yourself engaged without telling me? What kind of daughter does that?!"

Ashley burst out laughing. "What can I say? I'm the black sheep and dark horse of the family, remember?"

"Anyway," she continued, flashing a playful grin, "as I was saying, Mother, this is Mia—my fiancée." She gestured toward Mia before turning her attention to her. "And Mia, this is my mother, Elena Fletcher-Amosa."

Mia blinked, her wide eyes shifting between Ashley and Elena, her shock evident.



Ashley leaned against her desk, a playful grin tugging at the corner of her lips as she watched her mother's reaction. Mia, still processing the whirlwind of introductions and revelations, shifted nervously beside her.

Elena took a step closer, eyeing Mia with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "So, you're the one who managed to tame my unruly, runaway daughter?" she said, her lips curving into an amused smile. "Impressive."

Mia, flustered but polite, extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Fletcher-Amosa," she said, her voice soft but steady. "Ashley's mentioned you... a little."

"A little?" Elena scoffed, her gaze snapping to Ashley. "And here I thought my darling daughter had erased me from her life entirely."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "I didn't erase you, Mother. I just... minimized your screen time," she quipped, earning a quiet chuckle from Mia.

Elena shook her head, her laughter fading into a more serious expression as she regarded the couple. "Well, Mia," she said, clasping Mia's hand in hers, "welcome to the chaos that is our family. If you're brave enough to put up with Ashley, you'll survive anything."

Mia smiled shyly, glancing at Ashley, who looked unusually sheepish. "I think I'm up for the challenge," she replied, earning a soft laugh from both women.

Ashley cleared her throat, stepping between them. "All right, Mother, enough grilling for one day. What exactly are you doing here, anyway? Just passing through, or is this another one of your schemes?"

Elena raised an eyebrow, her smirk returning. "Can't I visit my eldest daughter out of love and affection?"

Ashley folded her arms. "Not when it involves tracking me down through Alysse," she countered.

Elena shrugged, unabashed. "Fair point. I came to check on you and, apparently, meet my future daughter-in-law." Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she added, "Though I would've appreciated an invitation to the engagement."

Ashley groaned. "It wasn't exactly planned, Mother."

Elena leaned in conspiratorially toward Mia. "Let me guess. It was something spontaneous, wasn't it? Ashley's never been one for grand gestures unless it involves chaos."

Mia smiled, nodding. "You're not wrong. But I think that's one of the things I love about her."

Elena sighed dramatically. "Well, I suppose I'll forgive you both—for now. But, Ashley," she said, turning to her daughter with a pointed look, "you owe me a proper family meeting. And Mia, dear, prepare yourself. This family is... an acquired taste."

Ashley chuckled, wrapping an arm protectively around Mia's shoulders. "She'll be fine, Mother. She's tougher than she looks."

Elena smiled faintly, studying the pair for a moment before stepping back. "We'll see about that. In the meantime, don't think this is the last you'll hear from me. I'm staying in Zurich for a while."

"Of course you are," Ashley muttered under her breath, earning a glare from Elena.

Mia glanced between the two, sensing the unspoken tension and underlying affection. Despite her initial nervousness, she felt a strange sense of belonging. If this was a glimpse of what life with Ashley's family would be like, she figured she could handle it—chaos and all.