Mia chuckled softly as she cupped Ashley's cheeks, her fingers grazing over Ashley's slightly flushed skin. Ashley pouted, her brows furrowing in thought. The lingering question of whether her family was truly letting her go from all responsibilities gnawed at her.

"They're up to something," Ashley muttered, her lips curling into a frown. "This is way too good to be true, right?" She tapped her chin, as if trying to piece together some elaborate scheme. "What if—"

Mia interrupted Ashley's rambling with a playful poke on her nose. "Relax, Ash," Mia said with a teasing shrug, her smile widening.

But before Ashley responded, she pinned Mia gently against the car door, her expression skeptical. "I need to figure this out. They're probably—"

"Ash!" Azriel's voice rang out, cutting through the moment. Both women turned to see him jogging towards them, his usually composed demeanor replaced by an uncharacteristic urgency.

Ashley rolled her eyes. "What now, Az—" Her words trailed off as Azriel unexpectedly wrapped her in a firm hug.

"H-Hey!" Ashley stammered, trying to push him off. "What the hell is this?!"

Azriel stepped back, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry," he mumbled, avoiding her glare. "Look, I just wanted to apologize. For... uh... the slap."

Mia blinked, taken aback. Her gaze darted between Ashley and Azriel. "Slap?" she echoed, her voice tinged with shock.

Azriel winced and glanced briefly at Mia before returning his gaze to Ashley. "I didn't mean it," he said, his tone filled with regret. "I... I let my anger get the better of me. I just couldn't stand that you hid your past with Natalie from me for so long. And then there's you constantly running away from your responsibilities. It was... too much."

Ashley crossed her arms and remained silent, her eyes narrowing slightly as she waited for him to finish.

Azriel sighed heavily, guilt etched into his features. "Natalie talked to me afterward. I hurt her too, and I know I was wrong for what I did—to her and to you." He paused, his voice softening. "I spoke to Mother and Father about taking over the company myself. I told them you deserve to live your own life—without all of us constantly pushing you into something you clearly don't want."

For a moment, there was silence. Then Ashley chuckled dryly and raised a hand to stop his rambling. "Az, you talk way too much," she said with a smirk. "But thanks for stepping up with the company. I appreciate it. And I may have something for you," She paused and reached into her pocket, as if searching for something.

"This," Ashley declared, suddenly raising both middle fingers in front of her brother. "Is for you."

Azriel stared at her, confused. "What?"

"First, fuck you for slapping me. Who the hell slaps their sister?" Ashley said, her tone half-serious, half-teasing. "Second, how dare you lay a hand on any woman? Third—" she paused for dramatic effect, "fuck you again. Just because."

Azriel blinked, then let out a small, incredulous laugh. "You're impossible."

Mia, unable to hold it in any longer, burst into laughter. The tension between the siblings melted away, leaving behind the warmth of a bond that, while unconventional, was undeniably strong.



Ashley wiped her face harshly with the palm of her hand before knocking on the glass door. She peeked inside to see Vera seated on the couch, Shiloh beside her, giggling softly as they chatted.

"Oh," Vera glanced up, her sharp gaze softening as it landed on Ashley. "Shiloh, sweetie, say hi to Auntie Ash," she said, patting Shiloh's hair affectionately.

Shiloh's face lit up as he jumped off the couch and ran toward Ashley. "Hi, Auntie Ash!" he chirped, waving energetically and grabbing her hand to pull her inside.

Ashley let out a small laugh, ruffling Shiloh's hair. "Hey, buddy." She looked toward Vera, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "And why is Nyx's little carbon copy here?"

Vera chuckled. "Nyx is in France for another medical training session." She shrugged lightly. "As for this little guy, I picked him up from nursery. Figured he could hang out with me for a while." She gestured to the couch across from her. "So, what brings Detective Ashley by so unexpectedly?"

Ashley heaved a sigh, rubbing the back of her neck as she sat down. "I need your help," she said, glancing at Shiloh, who had climbed back onto the couch beside Vera. "Well, not for free, of course, but I really need your connections on this one."

Vera arched a brow, tilting her head. "Connections? For what, exactly?"

Ashley clasped her hands together, her gaze dropping momentarily. "It's about my family. I met with them last night, and they told me they're letting me off the hook—freeing me from taking over the company. But it just... feels off," she said with a dry chuckle. "It's like they're plotting something."

Vera scoffed, leaning back against the couch and crossing her legs. "Let me get this straight. Your family is giving you a pass, and you think it's some sort of scheme? What are you, a child?"

Ashley rolled her eyes. "You don't understand. They've done this before. I can't just trust them outright. Especially now that they know I'm getting married," she added, her tone growing quieter.

Vera sighed, her hand stroking Shiloh's hair as he yawned and snuggled against her lap. "Alright, and what do you want me to do?"

Ashley pulled an envelope from her bag and handed it over. Vera opened it, skimming through the documents inside.

"Ash..." Vera's voice trailed off as she raised her brows at Ashley. "Are you sure about this?"

Ashley nodded firmly. "Yes. I can't do this myself, Vera. I don't want to access anything directly tied to the company right now. Don't get me wrong—I love and respect my family. But the safest way to keep my peace of mind is to stay at arm's length until I've cleared all my doubts."

Vera placed the documents back in the envelope and set it on the coffee table. Her fingers resumed stroking Shiloh's hair absentmindedly. "Ashley, your family's business is security services, and it includes cybersecurity. If I use my connections to bypass their systems and dig into these people, we're both risking jail—or worse." She chuckled dryly.

"I know," Ashley admitted. "If you don't want to get involved—"

"No, it's not that," Vera interrupted, glancing back at the envelope. "I'm just worried about you. You've been living off your family's support for years. Why stir things up now?"

Ashley bit her lower lip. "Everything's been running smoothly—too smoothly," she said, her tone laced with unease. "My brother Azriel and I had a heated argument recently. Then Natalie—his wife—told me he's been undercutting me for the position of company president. Not that I even want it, but suddenly, everyone's in agreement that Azriel will take over, and I'm free to live my life?" She shook her head. "It doesn't add up. He's always been grumpy about me dodging my responsibilities, and now he's my biggest supporter? Something's wrong."

Vera smirked faintly, shaking her head. "You know, I still owe you for helping Nyx a couple of years ago," she said, her voice softening. "You dug up dirt on Cameron Bennett and my stepmother when I needed it most. If it weren't for you, who knows what could've happened to Nyx—or to us."

Ashley blinked, surprised. "Wait, are you saying—"

"I'm helping you," Vera interrupted with a reassuring smile. "But I need you to promise me one thing."

"Anything," Ashley said earnestly.

"Keep Mia out of this," Vera said firmly, her gaze unwavering. "She's been through enough, Ash. This is your family's mess. Protect her as much as you're protecting yourself."

Ashley exhaled deeply, nodding. "Of course." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small digital camera, handing it to Vera.

"What's this?" Vera asked, furrowing her brow.

"Just hold onto it for now," Ashley said with a shrug. "I've got backups of everything on it, but if anything happens—anything—give it back to me. Or to Mia."

Vera studied the camera for a moment, her expression unreadable. "This isn't some kind of cryptic goodbye, is it?"

Ashley laughed, shaking her head. "No, nothing like that. Just being cautious." She offered a faint smile.

Vera nodded, slipping the camera into her bag. "Alright. I'll keep it safe until you need it."