Leaning her head back, Ashley sighed, frowning as she glanced at Natalie. She raised an eyebrow, eyeing the folder Natalie had handed her.

"The client specifically requested your services," Natalie shrugged. "Do you know her?" she added.

Ashley flipped through the file, raising an eyebrow. "Oh," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, she's a childhood friend. Vika Sione."

Natalie furrowed her brows. "A childhood friend, huh?" she mused. "But wait, can you really handle her case if you're so close to her?"

Ashley shook her head. "I'll tell Vika I can't take her case. You can transfer it to another investigator," she replied.

Raising an eyebrow, Natalie studied her. "And why is that? You just got back from your suspension and—"

"I'm taking a leave," Ashley interjected with a grin. "Mia and I are heading to Samoa soon. I need the time off."

Natalie blinked in surprise. "For real?"

"Uh, yeah," Ashley nodded. "You've done it too with Azriel before you two got married. So, why not me and Mia?" she shrugged.

Natalie's jaw dropped as she leaned forward. "Wait, what? You? Are you getting married?!"

Ashley rolled her eyes, a smirk playing on her lips. "What's with the surprise? It's not like I'm opposed to marriage, you know."

"I mean, I know that," Natalie scoffed. "But you haven't even hit an anniversary yet. You're—"

"And I don't care," Ashley cut her off. "We're adults. We're stable. Should we wait for our relationship to reach some arbitrary milestone before getting married? I don't think so," she chuckled, standing up.

"Congratulations, Ash," Natalie said, offering a subtle nod. "I hope you two have a wonderful life together."

Ashley blinked, smiling. "Thanks, Nat." She turned to leave but paused, glancing back at Natalie. "And if Azriel ever lays a hand on you again, as her younger sister, I hope you can forgive him. But as someone who's been your friend long before I've been your ex-lover... I hope you won't give him another chance." She chuckled lightly before excusing herself.



Rubbing the back of her head, Ashley let out an awkward laugh as she gently removed the woman's hand from her arm. She took a step back, creating a comfortable distance between them.

"What's with you, Ash?" the woman asked, her brows knitting in confusion.

"Vika," Ashley sighed, her tone soft but firm. "Look, I know we made those little promises when we were kids, but people change. We've changed."

Vika tilted her head, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. "I know, change is inevitable. But you're not married yet, right? And neither am I," she said, taking a step closer. "So, we can still get married, can't we?"

Ashley gulped, rubbing her temples as she shook her head with a nervous laugh. "Yes, I'm not married yet," she admitted, meeting Vika's gaze. "But I am getting married soon. I have someone else now—a fiancée—and I'm happy with her."

"Wait, what?" Vika blinked, clearly taken aback. "I thought you remembered our promise—that's why I'm here," she said, laughing incredulously.

Ashley chuckled awkwardly, nodding. "I remember," she admitted. "We said if neither of us was married by thirty, we'd marry each other. But Vika, that's long overdue," she said, clicking her tongue. "I didn't think you were serious about it! Meanwhile, here I am, planning a wedding with my fiancée."

"Oh my gosh," Vika groaned, smacking her forehead. "So I'm too late?"

Ashley sighed, now visibly uncomfortable. "Vika, I don't even know why we're having this conversation. That promise was something we made as kids! How old were we, seven? It's not like we signed a contract," she said, shaking her head.

Vika clicked her tongue, stepping forward. "Yeah, we were seven. But we made that promise, Ash," she said, suddenly grabbing Ashley's tie and pulling her closer.

Ashley's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat when the door creaked open. "Mia," she mumbled, swallowing hard.

Mia paused in the doorway, her eyes darting between Ashley and the woman holding her tie. "What's this?" she scoffed, stepping inside. Her expression was calm, but her tone carried a sharp edge. "Why is she pulling my fiancée's tie?"

"Mia, wait—" Ashley hastily pulled back, freeing her tie from Vika's grip. She straightened nervously as Mia strode toward them.

"Who is she?" Mia demanded, pointing at Vika. "And why is she touching you like that?" She folded her arms, her sharp eyes fixed on Vika.

Vika raised a brow, smirking as she eyed Mia from head to toe. "Ash, you're not seriously telling me this is your fiancée," she said, scoffing.

"She is," Ashley said firmly, stepping closer to Mia. "This is Mia, my fiancée." She glanced nervously at Mia before gesturing toward Vika. "And Mia, this is Vika, my—"

"I'm Vika Sione," Vika interrupted, extending her hand toward Mia with a smug grin. "I'm Ashley's supposed future wife."

"What? No!" Ashley exclaimed, waving her hands dismissively. "Mia, don't listen to her!"

Mia chuckled, letting out a long sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, for goodness' sake," she muttered under her breath. "Please stop with these stories. I'm not buying it," she added, laughing softly.

"What?" Vika snapped, her tone sharp as she glared at Mia.

"Listen," Mia said, tugging Ashley closer and slipping an arm possessively around her. "I get it—Ashley's gorgeous. But claiming someone else's fiancée is a big no-no, alright?" she said, her voice laced with a casual but firm edge.

Vika rolled her eyes, a smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, how adorable," she said with a mocking lilt. "But let me remind you, I'm the first woman Ashley ever promised to marry, not you."

"It's not what it looks like!" Ashley stammered. "Vika, I already told you—I'm engaged with Mia. Those childhood promises were just that—childhood promises! They don't mean anything now."

"You heard her," Mia said coolly, stepping closer to Vika. "I'm her fiancée. She's marrying me, not you. So maybe it's time for you to leave."

Vika huffed, picking up her handbag with a sharp glare. "We'll talk again, Ash," she said before turning to leave.

"Oh dear, no, you won't," Mia shot back, waving her off dismissively. "Bye now."

As the door closed behind Vika, Mia turned to Ashley, her glare sharp enough to cut. Without warning, she smacked Ashley's arm. "Who the hell was that?!"

"Ow!" Ashley yelped, shielding herself. "Mia, wait—ow! Stop it!"

"Explain yourself, Detective Amosa. Now," Mia demanded, hands on her hips.

Ashley raised her hands in surrender, gulping. "Okay, okay! She's Vika Sione, a childhood friend from Samoa," she admitted, biting her lower lip.

"Childhood friend?" Mia raised an eyebrow. "And why is she claiming you promised to marry her?"

Ashley groaned, rubbing the back of her neck. "Because when we were kids, we promised that if we weren't married by thirty, we'd marry each other," she confessed. "But Mia, come on! We were seven. It's not like I actually meant it."

"You what?!" Mia smacked her arm again, her voice rising in disbelief.

"Ow! Sugarplum, stop!" Ashley laughed, dodging another hit as she grabbed Mia's hands. "You're acting like I cheated!"

"Of course I am!" Mia huffed, still glaring at her. "You shouldn't make promises like that! And I can't believe that was even a thing back in your day!"

"Wow," Ashley scoffed, smirking. "You're making me sound ancient."

Mia laughed despite herself, burying her face in Ashley's chest. "See? I told you—competition for you is tight. I need to fence you in before anyone else tries to steal you."

Ashley chuckled, wrapping her arms around Mia and pulling her close. "I'm all yours, sugarplum. Only yours."