Chapter 176: Don’t cut off your line.
"I will carve your heart out... and no one will ever know you’re gone."
Emma’s shoulders stiffened as her neck grew taut, staring wide-eyed at the person before her. The first time she saw Ashley, she had looked so unassuming that Emma had mistaken her for a maid.
The second time was when she watched the trio from afar. Emma had thought then that Ashley was truly a warm person, and she understood why Primo and Lucian were drawn to her. A kind-hearted person like her was like a flame to moths.
But now, she could feel a sense of dread creeping up her spine.
Ashley was not taller than her, and yet she felt herself shrinking under her gaze. Her shoulders trembled as her heart thudded. The person standing before her was just as dangerous as Lucian. Perhaps more.
Ahh...
Emma nodded inwardly with the realization.
I forgot this woman is not just Luka’s wife. She’s... she’s the madam of this cursed Dominion.
Emma drew a deep breath, swallowing the rising tension in her throat. She tried to smile, but failed.
"You are right," she nodded. "There are a lot of things I should apologize to Primo for."
She exhaled heavily, hoping it would ease the weight in her chest. "But the reason I decided not to attend is that... I realized Luka is right."
"I don’t have a place in Primo’s life anymore. The day I let him take my son, I gave up every right I had. And each time I chose a pill over him, I..." she trailed off, shaking her head, telling herself there was no point dwelling on it now.
Emma clutched her handbag tightly, steeling herself as she met Ashley’s eyes once more.
"I’m sorry for all the trouble my presence has caused," Emma said with a bitter smile. "I mean that. Which is why... I’m leaving."
Ashley’s brows drew together, but Emma’s smile only widened slightly.
"I have no place in Dominion, and I no longer have a place in my son’s life. I thought about it all night, and... I realized my son is already in a good place without me," she let out a short, bitter laugh. "If anything, my being here only confuses everyone and affects Primo."
Emma mustered every ounce of courage she had and reached out to take Ashley’s rough hand. Thankfully, Ashley let her, which made her smile softly.
Tears glistened in her eyes as she lifted her gaze.
"Thank you." She nodded, holding back her tears. "Thank you for being there for Primo and for Luka. I may be overstepping by saying this, but thank you. Especially for Luka."
Emma tried to stop it, but she couldn’t, and tears fell down her cheek. Her glossed lips trembled, pressing into a conflicted smile.
"I may not know my own son well, but my brother... he’s a piece of work. He’s emotionally closed off, but that’s because of the kind of family he came from." She paused, unsure if she should even continue.
Ashley might not need to hear any of this, but Emma felt compelled to say it. At the very least, she could do something for the brother who had always helped her in his cold, unaffectionate way.
"And also because trust has cost him the lives of people he cared about," she added. "I’ve never seen him love anyone aside from Primo. But I think if it’s you... my brother might learn how to be human again."
She squeezed Ashley’s hand. "I’m rambling. What I’m trying to say is — please be patient with him. Some things, you’ll have to spell out for him. But once you do, you won’t have to say it again. He’s the kind of person who remembers, even things said in passing."
"Ashley," Emma’s voice softened as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I hope... your marriage will be filled with nothing but happiness. For you, for Luka, and for... Primo."
Finally, she released Ashley’s hand. "Thank you for letting me ramble and for sparing me your time."
With that, Emma took a step back and dipped her head. She turned on her heel to leave, having already said everything she came to say.
But after a few steps, she paused when Ashley spoke.
"Don’t cut off your line."
Her brows knitted as she looked back. "What?"
"Eight years," Ashley said with a quiet, resigned sigh. "You weren’t in Primo’s life for all those years. It’ll take time to make up for that. Don’t add more years to it. So don’t cut off your line. Call him once in a while. Come by on holidays or on his birthdays."
Emma’s lips quivered as the tears she had been holding back gathered in the corners of her eyes. Ashley smiled softly.
"Don’t worry about what Lucian will say. He feels so guilty about me that he’d give me the moon if I asked," she winked.
Tears finally fell from Emma’s eyes as the weight wrapped around her heart began to loosen. She tried to stop crying, but she couldn’t. All she could do was stare at the soft smile on Ashley’s face — the woman who had shown her two very different sides of herself.
"Thank... thank you," Emma breathed out, voice breaking. "Thank you."
Ashley nodded gently, watching the woman wipe her tears with quiet elegance. When Emma had composed herself, she straightened her back and offered Ashley a wide smile.
Warmth filled the space between them as they held each other’s gaze. When Emma turned to leave again, she stopped. Though this time for a different reason.
"Right," Emma perked up, sniffing as she glanced back. "Ash, I don’t know why you suddenly disappeared that day, but don’t do that again. Luka might keep people at arm’s length, but some people are relentless."
She pressed her lips together. "What I’m saying is, I know a certain woman who is very opportunistic. And as much as I dislike her, she’s also very capable."
With that, Emma dipped her head in farewell and left without looking back.
As for Ashley, she walked to the main door and watched her go. As Emma made her way to the waiting car, Ashley whispered,
"I will not go back to that corner again. It’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned."
A lesson she had learned thanks to those nosy neighbors across the street — who, even now, were peeking through the window with unabashed curiosity.
She smiled to herself, watching Emma’s car roll away. Then she tilted her head slightly.
"But... don’t Emma and Nikki get along?" she mumbled, deep in thought. "I assumed they did. From what I know, Emma found this place because of that woman."
Ashley’s expression twisted as she thought it over.
"How did I not think of that?" she muttered to herself. "There’s no way Nikki would let a woman with a history with Lucian anywhere near him."
She knew that firsthand. She had met Nikki and experienced just how infuriatingly condescending that woman was. Shaking her head, Ashley snapped her gaze toward the house across the street.
The moment she did, the figures peeking through the window vanished in a flash.
"I already saw you earlier," she clicked her tongue, marching across to their house.
She knocked a few times and waited a full minute before the door opened. Red stood there, yawning, doing a poor job of pretending he had just woken up.
"What?" he asked, feigning irritation.
Ashley peered past him and caught the others sprawled on the floor, playing dead.
"Stop playing dead!" she called out, then looked back up at Red. "I cooked something for you guys. Want to have lunch at our place?"
"Huh?" Red scrunched his nose, only for his stomach to let out a loud grumble. "Shit."
"We’re... we’re actually really full," Rum sat up and yelled from the floor. "Thanks, though."
Ashley raised her brows. "Lucian’s not home, okay?"
Like magic, the door swung wide open, and the other four appeared behind Red, all standing at attention.
"Wow," she said, genuinely impressed. "You guys are something else."
She shook her head. "Fine, let’s go."
She turned and walked off, the five of them exchanging glances before scrambling after her, each sneaking a look at her face for any trace of tears.
"I didn’t cry," she said as they fell into step beside her.
Then she stopped in front of her house and turned to face them. With a proud smirk, she announced,
"This time, she was the one crying!"
*****
Meanwhile, somewhere...
A loud thud broke the silence of a dim, quiet office as a knife embedded itself into the surface of a desk. Pinned beneath the blade was a stolen photograph.
Ashley.
"We’ll get the bitch."