Ashley tossed and turned on her bed–big as it was lonely–unable to find a comfortable position. Despite her exhaustion, sleep refused to take her.
She kept trying, shutting her eyes and hugging one of the fluffy pillows tightly, until she finally drifted off. But almost immediately, the nightmare found her.
Ashley found herself standing outside, watching her parents' plane soar through the sky. Her mom's bright smile suddenly turned into something unrecognizable, twisting in agony as the world around them began to rotate. Screams pierced the air, deafening and horrific as the plane began to spiral downward...
"Mom, no!" Ashley released a piercing scream, alongside the hundreds of terrified voices echoing in her head.
She jerked awake with a sharp gasp, her body covered in sweat despite the cool air condition, her heart pounding erratically in her chest. She frantically turned on the lamp, as if its glow could erase the haunting image of her parents' agony from her mind. But the light only intensified her throbbing headache–and the guilt.
Ashley sat up, clutching the sheet tight, tears welling in her eyes.
Almost ten years had passed since that fateful day, but the pain still felt fresh each time.
Rubbing her temples, she tried to shake off the lingering fear. She wished she could explain why the nightmares persisted, but she'd long quit trying. The night was still early, so she dragged her feet to the closet, grabbed a bottle of ZzzQuil carefully hidden, and swallowed two tablets. Then went and slumped back on the bed, drifting off almost immediately.
*******
A knock on the door pulled Ashley from her thoughts. She opened it to find Madison standing there, her warm smile a gentle contrast to the chaos in Ashley's mind.
"Good morning," she greeted before proceeding to say what had brought her. "Mrs. Flynn want to know if you'd like to join them downstairs for breakfast?"
Ashley hesitated, tempted to decline, but eventually agreed. "Oh... okay, I'll join them shortly."
Madison nodded and left. Ashley let out a tired sigh. She preferred her solitude, but refusing Michelle's invitation would be rude, especially considering how the old lady had been trying to befriend her.
They had been patient with her since she arrived, and she didn't want to come off as ungrateful. And after learning about Jason's death, she couldn't even stay angry at her grandparents anymore –but that didn't mean she'd lowered her guards.
After grabbing her phone, she made her way downstairs. As Ashley stepped into the dining room, she immediately sensed a shift in the air. Mikael and Michelle sat with a man she had never seen before, their expressions unreadable. The long dining table had room for twenty, yet they sat close together, as if deep in discussion before she arrived. The stranger barely glanced up, instead focusing on his meal, while Michelle's gaze lingered on Ashley for a second too long before she spoke.
"Did you sleep well, darling?"
The question made Ashley remember the nightmare but she was quick to shove it to the back of her mind and nodded, taking the seat next to Michelle.
Her eyes swept across the table, drinking in the mouthwatering dishes —chicken soup, scrambled eggs, sautéed vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and melted cheddar cheese. They began to eat in silence, the only sounds coming from utensils clinking against plates.
The stranger seemed intensely focused on his meal, barely speaking except for the occasional responses to Mikael's questions. Mikael refilled his wife's plate every time he noticed it getting empty, causing the old lady's face to take on the permanent hue of a ripe tomato.
Even in silence, her grandparents existed in their own beautiful world, and for a fleeting moment, Ashley wished she knew what that felt like.
After their quiet breakfast, Mikael was the first to drop his fork, before proceeding to introduce the chestnut headed man beside him. "Ashley, this is Nicolas Brevard. He's leading the investigation team searching for Vanessa."
Ashley's brows shot up and she turned her attention to the man, who offered her a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Nicolas."
Nicolas wiped his mouth with a napkin before finally meeting her gaze. His brown eyes held an intensity that made Ashley wary—not cold, but sharp, observant. He extended a hand with a small smile, and Ashley took it.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you," he said, his voice steady, professional. "I promise, we're doing everything possible to find your daughter and Roseline Phillips."
Ashley's fingers clenched beside her. It took her a second to find her voice, and when she did, it came out quieter than she expected. "Have you made any progress at all?"
Nicolas gaze grew sharper. "Yesterday, an anonymous tip mentioned a woman matching Roseline's description entering a luxury Mall. Surveillance footage confirmed it was her. We flew in immediately, but..." Nicolas sighed, his jaw tightening. "...she was gone–like a ghost."
Ashley nodded, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She rubbed her arm, trying to calm her racing heart, but it was useless. The tension in the room could be felt and the silence was deafening, broken only by the faint sound of some maids moving about.
"What about my baby?" Ashley managed another question, her throat feeling dry.
Nicolas' expression turned sympathetic. "There's no news of her or the Hawks yet. Roseline is our best lead for now."
Ashley's gaze drifted to Michelle, whose worried eyes softened before she pulled Ashley into a tight hug. "Everything is gonna be just fine, baby."
Ashley sobbed in Michelle's arms, allowing herself to embrace the rare sense of comfort. She tried to believe Michelle's words, but a deep-seated fear still gnawed at her heart.
Moments later, Ashley climbed into the sleek black Jeep that had been waiting for her since Nicolas left, adjusting her yellow sundress as she settled in.
"Good morning, Miss," The driver, a dark-haired man, greeted her with a friendly smile which Ashley reciprocated.
"Good morning."
The man shut the door and rounded the car to take his seat.
The drive was quiet, but Ashley didn't mind at all. She was too lost in her thoughts to. Tomorrow was her first day at Flynn Enterprises, and her stomach twisted with nerves just thinking about it.
When they pulled up to the mall, she felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. The vast compound spread before her, with several majestic buildings towering above. She stepped out, surrounded by the bustling crowd, some carrying different sizes of shopping bags.
"I'll wait for you here, Miss," the driver said, his voice firm but polite. She nodded, her eyes fixed on the bold gold letters on the middle building: NOVASPIRE MALL.
Tucking the gold credit card Michelle had given her into her purse, she strode toward the entrance.
Back at Christian's house, Ashley's only given a meager amount—just enough to buy two or three cheap outfits per shopping trip, and even those trips were limited to twice a year. That was the life she had been used to. But this? This was a whole new world.
As she entered the mall, she was immediately swept into the sea of activities—chattering voices, rustling bags, whirring escalators. The air was filled with the scent of sweet perfumes.
She glanced at the directory board, trying to figure out which way to go. The second floor was dedicated to female wears and accessories. Stepping onto the escalator, her mind raced as it carried her upward.
Reaching the second floor, boutiques and designer stores surrounded her. She felt like a child in a candy store—overwhelmed yet strangely excited, unsure where to start.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a text from Michelle: There's $500,000 on the credit card I gave you, dear. Just call if you need anything else.
Ashley's eyes widened in shock, and her fingers instinctively tightened around her purse, heart racing faster.
She took a moment to re-read the text– twice–making sure she hadn't imagined it. And she indeed hadn't.
"Half a million dollars? For shopping?" She whispered, barely trusting her own voice. "This is insane."
She suddenly had a wary feeling, wondering why Michelle would give her such an extravagant budget. Was this a test, or just some ridiculously generous gesture?
She thought it was anything but the latter. "No one hands out half a million dollars for shopping without expecting something in return." After years of barely scraping by, she had learned one thing—nothing came without a price. Christian's kindness had always been conditional, and now, she couldn't shake the feeling that Michelle's generosity was a trap too.
"What else could they want from me, besides managing the company?" She stood there questioning herself, and once again trying to figure out her grandparent's true intention.
Minutes passed and nothing made sense. Ashley finally pushed her concern aside when she felt a headache coming.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into one of the stores, deciding to buy a few things she could easily repay when she started working.