Chapter 184: Nothing bad is going to happen
Meanwhile...
"Bother me? Pfft—! No, it just... made this day even better."
Lucian raised his brows as he watched his wife chuckle. Ashley hadn’t even met Nikki yet, but in his mind, she truly didn’t like the idea that Nikki was the one who sent Emma to their house.
Had it not been for that, things wouldn’t have spiraled out of control.
Even so, another part of him knew that things wouldn’t be like this if not for that. Still, he hoped he could have handled it better than he did.
Smiling back at her, he glanced at the small figure skipping back to the bench where they were.
Primo returned a moment later with a small bag of candies. His flushed cheeks and proud smile made both Ashley and Lucian smile in return.
"Shall we?" Lucian urged, only for Ashley to stand up.
Primo cocked his head, looking up at her curiously. [What is it?]
"Before we go," she said, smiling at them, "I just need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back."
She had been holding it in for a while now.
"I see." Lucian gave a small nod and glanced in the direction where he’d spotted the restrooms earlier. "We’ll be here. Take your time."
She chuckled and quipped back, "I know."
Having said that, Ashley looked around and hurried off. Lucian and Primo watched her go, and with a subtle signal, Lucian sent some bodyguards after her.
Not because he feared she might run, but because the park was packed, and even with security stationed throughout, it was better to be sure. He didn’t expect anything bad to happen, but Lucian hadn’t survived this long by living recklessly.
"Primo," he said, turning to the boy once he saw the guards fall into step behind Ashley, "you don’t even like those candies. Why did you buy them?"
Primo considered this for a moment, then signed:
[Time alone for you and Mama.]
"..." Lucian stared at his son quietly before reaching out to ruffle his hair. "You’re learning."
Primo beamed. [Make sure she stays with us.]
"I’ll do my best," Lucian nodded. "Are you having fun?"
Primo’s lips stretched from ear to ear as he nodded. Relieved, Lucian’s expression softened as he nodded.
"Good."
*****
Ashley couldn’t stop smiling—even in the restroom, giggling and blushing like a fool. It wasn’t just because Lucian was doing all these things for her, but because she was relieved he hadn’t forgotten what Nikki had done.
"Goodness," she muttered as she finished her business in the cubicle.
Although things still turned out well, a lot of things happened before we reached this. Besides, Nikki still got on my nerves even before she returned to headquarters.
As she stepped out of one of the stalls, she paused for the elderly janitor mopping the floor nearby.
"Oh, excuse me," she murmured politely, staying in place until the janitor moved past her.
Ashley tiptoed to the sink to avoid making a mess while someone was cleaning. She looked at her reflection and turned on the tap, chuckling softly as she shook her head.
"Stop smiling now," she whispered to herself. "You look crazy."
But she couldn’t help it.
Ashley’s heart felt full, and everything that happened today made her smile. But as she lingered on the thought, her smile began to fade as she stared at her hands under the running water.
When was the last time she felt happy? This genuinely free and satisfied?
If she were honest, she had never felt this before. She never even knew this joy existed.
But based on what she knew of "happiness," it was always followed by tragedy. When things felt too peaceful, her heart would race not with comfort, but with suspicion.
That was always how it went for her. Whenever things were too quiet, whenever joy came too easily, she couldn’t help but feel it... that familiar sense of a calm before the storm.
"No, no," she shook her head, catching her own reflection in the mirror.
In the background, the elderly janitor continued mopping steadily.
She refocused on herself, huffing sharply as if forcing those thoughts away. Then she gave herself a small nod.
Nothing bad is going to happen, she repeated in her mind. Nothing bad is going to happen today.
But just as Ashley turned off the tap, her body moved—swift and automatic, reacting before her train of thought could follow.
Her arm snapped up to her neck, her palm intercepting whatever was coming for her throat.
She felt a prick between her thumb and forefinger. Her brows knitted together. Her breathing hitched, water trickling from her arm to the floor.
For one second, the world stilled.
Ashley’s gaze locked onto the figure standing beside her.
The elderly janitor.
The mop had dropped to the floor, the handle clicking faintly against the tiles. The elderly woman’s arm was still extended toward Ashley, and between them was something Ashley had caught just before it reached her neck.
"You..." Ashley’s eyes dilated as she breathed, frozen in place.
She hadn’t sensed the danger until the very last second. Her heart slammed violently against her chest.
Slowly, the janitor lifted her gaze. She took one step back, her expression unchanged—sharp, steady, and unhurried... until the corners of her mouth curled, deepening the wrinkles on her face unnaturally.
"How..." came her croaky voice. "...troublesome."
Ashley didn’t move. Her body was locked in place, every sense trained on the woman before her.
It’s a disguise, she realized.
Then her eyes dropped to what she was holding.
An empty syringe.
The moment it registered, her vision pulsed, zooming in and out, the edges of the world softening as her head grew lighter with every passing second.
"Shit," she hissed, trying to fight it. She reached out to grab the woman, but her body didn’t respond.
Her perspective tilted as her knees gave out, her body falling to the side.
But before the darkness could take her completely, she gathered the last of her strength and flung the syringe. It skidded past the janitor’s feet and slid across the floor, disappearing beneath the gap of one of the stalls.
THUD!