Chapter 20: Blunt knife
The shock on Ashley's face was unmistakable, her eyes wide with disbelief, as she tried to process Michelle's revelation. She had never known her father had any siblings–hell, she hadn't known he had any family at all, until a week ago. But standing there, staring at the spitting image of the man who was her father's brother, made her wonder just how many things she didn't know about him.
Ashley wasn't just shocked to learn that her father had a brother-she was unsettled. Why did he also never spoke of his own sibling? Even if his relationship with his parents had been strained, wasn't the bond between siblings supposed to be different? Special?
Despite everything she had been through, she knew that if she had a sibling, she would've held on to them, no matter what.
The possibility that it might have been the brother who didn't want a relationship with her dad, after their parents cut him off, crossed her mind. She couldn't help but imagine the sadness her dad must've hidden every day, knowing he had a family he couldn't connect with. It pricked at her heart.
She remembered how she'd eventually stopped asking about his parents after he'd told her they were dead. That afternoon, Ashley had felt really heartbroken for him, believing it was why he always avoided the topic of his family, and why her mom never also entertained her curiosities about them. But now, she realized her father hadn't meant a literal death at all.
And that she knew nothing beyond the fact that he had been kind, loving, and the best father she could've asked for. Thinking deeper, she wondered if that might had been the reason she always felt they lived in hiding –until tragedy struck.
When Ashley finally found her voice, she asked. "Where's Jason? I don't think I've seen him since ... since I arrived."
As the question left her mouth, her confusion deepened. Why had Mikael handed over his company to her, instead of Jason?
Michelle forced down the lump that had formed in her own throat before proceeding to answer Ashley's question.
"That's because..." she swallowed the ache in her chest. Ashley noticed the hesitation, which only heightened her own curiosity. "Jason's dead."
Ashley's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't expected that answer at all, now she didn't know how to react. "I-I'm so sorry. I-didn't..."