ASHTON

Outside, the light drizzle has become vicious as the rain beats against the windshield. It fills the small space of the car with a steady, drowning sound, but I hardly hear it. All I can focus on is Demi.

There’s a faint tremor in her hands as they rest on her lap. It’s been as unsteady as her gaze since I asked the question minutes ago.

An uneasy silence stretches between us. I try not to stare, but it is impossible. I am desperate to know what’s going on in her head, to know where we stand. I need something, anything at this point. A word. A nod. Even an angry denial would be better than this hollow pause.

But I do not want to push her. I promised I wouldn’t. Yet the restlessness and fear claws at me. Does she remember now?

The last time we were trapped in a car together while the rain poured like this, everything about us changed. That night burned itself into my memory so deeply that I doubt I could forget it even if I tried.

The way she had looked at me. The way she had whispered my name. The way the world outside disappeared until it was only her and me tangled like pretzels in each other’s arms. If she remembers that night, she remembers us.

I swallow and try again, softer this time. "Demi," I say quietly. "Do you remember what happened the last time we were stuck in a car in the middle of nowhere and it started raining like this?"

Her cheeks turn red instantly. For a split second, hope surges in my chest. If she’s flushed, then she remembers that night as vividly as I do. But when I look at her eyes, the blush drains away as quickly as it came.

She looks out the window, away from me, and draws in a deep breath. When she turns back to me, the small warmth that flickered inside her expression has died completely.

"Please just drive me home," she mutters.

The words are icy and sharp. I stare at her, trying to understand.

Beyond the smokescreen of annoyance, I can sense a bit of fear and hesitation. Was that fear because she remembers or because she misunderstood me entirely?

"Demi, I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t suggesting anything. I only want to know how your recovery is coming along."

Her jaw tightens. "Well, I remember you promised to give me time, Ashton." Her eyes dip to her hands. "You promised not to rush me."

"You’re right. I’m sorry."

Before I can say more, my phone rings. The interruption feels both relieving and yet, inconvenient. I glance at the screen and see the number of the man I assigned to find Skylar’s ex. My pulse jumps.

"Yes?"

"We found him, sir. Colt Vanner is in our custody."

I heave a deep breath of relief and close my eyes for a second. They found him. They found my sister’s assaulter. Skylar is safe. Thank Goodness!

"That’s good to know, Julius. Thank you. I want to see him before you turn him over to the authorities."

I can’t let him off so easily. I have to put hands on him the same way he put hands on my sister, before the police can step in. After the call, I quickly type a message to Lucien to inform him of the latest update.

Only then do I realize Demi is staring at me. Her expression has changed completely.

"What was that call about?" she asks.

"Someone hurt Skylar..." The confusion on her face snaps me back. "I mean, my sister Skylar was attacked in her home. My men just located the guy who hurt her," I explain. "They have him in custody."

Her eyes flick to my phone as I finish the text to Lucien.

"You’re texting Lucien?".

"Yeah. I promised to keep him updated."

"Updated? Why? How is he involved in this? He isn’t exactly available for hire..." A small frown forms on her face. The instant our eyes meet, I can tell she’s figured it out.

Her frown tightens. "So that’s what the song and dance back at Anna’s place was about? You and Lucien trying to convince me to leave town to be with my uncle for a few days because that’s the only way Lucien will take on another damsel in distress without feeling guilty of disappointing my uncle?"

"Demi, that’s not all that was."

Her voice hardens. "So, you didn’t convince Lucien to send me away so he could protect your sister?"

"No. Demi, that’s not how it happened."

She shakes her head. "I have no claim to Lucien. He’s a grown man who made the commitment to protect me as a favor to my uncle; against my wishes might I add. Of course, I don’t think I need him hovering around me all the time but why wouldn’t you just tell me you needed him instead of pretending to care about my recovery?"

My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. I realize too late that I never properly explained any of this to her.

"I was going to tell you everything," I say quickly. "A lot’s happened lately that I totally forgot to bring it up."

She shakes her head in disbelief. Then she opens the car door and steps out into the rain.

"Demi! Wait." I jump out after her, the cold water hitting me instantly. "Please get back in the car. It’s cold out here. You’ll get sick."

"Stop talking to me like I am a kid!" She snaps, stabbing a finger at me. "I am neither a child nor an invalid yet you keep running circles around me, treating me like one."

She paces a few steps, running her hand through her hair while the rain soaks her completely.

I grab the umbrella from the backseat and rush toward her, opening it over her head but she shoves it out of my hand.

"Why did you lie to me, Ashton?"

"I didn’t lie," I insist. "I just didn’t get the chance to explain."

"Look me in the eye and tell me this had everything to do with protecting your sister, and nothing to do with the fact that you were insecure about Lucien being around me. I see the way you act around Lucien. You’ve never liked him since my uncle foisted him on me so tell me the real reason why you wanted him to protect your sister."

I swallow hard. "You don’t understand..."

"Then help me understand it because it makes zero sense to me. You have the money and connections to hire the best bodyguards for your sister. Why did it have to be Lucien?"

I open my mouth to tell her Skylar demanded for him, but stop myself after realizing how that would be dismissed as another lie. She won’t believe it.

"These lies...these half-truths, can’t you see what they all point to? You are controlling, Ashton," she says, her voice shaking. "I don’t like that you keep trying to decide what happens in my life without bothering to talk to me first."

"No, Demi, this wasn’t about control. Trust me, I did it to protect Skylar, not to control your life."

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

Frustration rises in my chest. "If you would just listen for a minute, you would understand."

"I am done listening," she replies. "Every time I ignore my gut and try to trust you, you prove me wrong." She hugs herself, shivering slightly.

I stare at her, speechless and hurt by her words. She doubts me? She’s having trouble fully trusting me? How long has that been going on? I’m genuinely frustrated to realize that her accident has done more damage to our relationship than I ever could imagine.

"I thought you cared," she continues, sniffling. "When you asked me to stay with my uncle, I believed you were genuinely worried about my safety. Now I see it was for your own selfish reasons."

"Now, that isn’t fair."

"Maybe not," she says quietly. "But it still hurts and I don’t know if I can ever fully trust you."

The words feel like a slow knife twisting in my insides. I close the distance between us and try to take her hand. Typically, she moves away from me.

"Demi, you’ve got it all wrong. Just let me explain myself."

"I’d rather you take me home." She climbs back into the car and turns on the heating. Heaving a deep breath, I get in as well. Beyond the fact that she’s actually cold, I feel another iciness emitting from her rigid posture. She wouldn’t even look at me.

The drive that follows is the longest of my life. Neither of us speaks and when I eventually try, she shuts her eyes, signaling her disinterest in continuing the conversation.

Halfway there, she suddenly asks me to stop the car. I peer out at the unfamiliar neighborhood.

"This isn’t Anna’s."

"I know that."

"Then why are we stopping here?" Without giving me a fitting response, she gets out and walks straight to a bus stop.

"Demi, this isn’t safe." I get down, trailing after her. Why is she hellbent on spiking my blood pressure? "I’m sorry, okay. I messed up but this is a little extreme. Are you seriously going to risk your safety like this just to avoid spending another second with me in the car?"

"Don’t talk to me like I’m a crazy woman." She snarls. "I am an adult and I know how to use Uber."

"I’m sorry, okay?" She moves away when I inch closer. "Please let me drop you off safely at Anna’s. I promise not to say a word the whole time."

She ignores me and books an Uber. I wait like a worried parent till it arrives. When it does, I take pictures of the number plate and the driver before giving the dude a stern threat for her safety.

"Jesus, just stop it, Ashton."

"Answer your phone when I call or his ass is getting hauled in for questioning." I don’t mean it, or at least I hope I don’t. At this point, I don’t know what I am capable of when it comes to protecting the ones I love.

Shaking her head, Demi gets inside. We lock eyes in the side mirror as the car pulls away. She’s angry, yes, but at least she didn’t leave without a glance. Something in her eyes stirred hope in mine.

***

By the time I get home, my chest feels hollow. I sit in my car for a minute and exhale deeply. One second, I am glad Skylar is out of harm’s way.

The next, I am confused about my relationship with Demi or if it will survive her accident. Will things ever go back to the way they were? Will she ever recall what we had with as much intensity or has our love become one-sided after all?

I dial Anna’s number and explain everything that happened. She promises to talk to Demi on my behalf, but that does little to settle my nerves, especially after she informs me that Demi hasn’t gotten home yet.

"What? We were a few minutes away from your house. She should have been there twenty-minutes ago."

My heart starts pounding while my mind wanders in scary directions.

"Calm down, Ashton. I spoke to her ten minutes ago. She made a detour to see a friend. I’ll call you when she gets here."

I swallow the questions in my head and opt to trust Anna. "Text me when she’s home, please?"

"You know I will."

When I try Demi’s phone after the call, it doesn’t go through. Worried, I track her phone and pin her location in an estate. After a little more digging, it shows that the address belongs to Mrs. Amanda Regan.

Relief eases some of the tension. Sighing, I rub my temples in circles. She’s in Katherine’s house. If Demi is with Mrs. Regan, then she is not in danger. But then, my curiosity ticks. I had no idea Demi had any kind of relationship with the Regans, enough to even pay an impromptu visit in the dead of the night.

Maybe they met from her time in the HQ as Asher’s intern. Again, my eyes widen like saucers as the realization dawns. If she had met Amanda Regan from her time in the HQ, did it mean her memories were back?

That thought should make me happy but it doesn’t. Instead, it fills me with dread and more questions. Could Demi’s memories already be back and she didn’t tell me? If she remembers everything, why does it feel like she remembers none of the love she once had for me?

Our argument replays over and over in my head as I walk through the house. Was she trying to push me away with that fight? Has she fallen out of love with me now that the memories of her parents’ deaths have taken front row seats in her memory? I get devastated as my mind continues to paint the worst pictures and scenarios imaginable.

Why didn’t she trust me enough to confide in me about her returning memories? Why did she still look at me like a stranger tonight even after she clearly recalled our first time together? Was she repulsed by the memory of making love with the man who literally led her parents to their deaths?

I whip out my phone to call Anna again, then decide against it. Anna may know of Demi’s regained memories but I don’t want to pull her into this. I’ll rather hear it from the horse’s mouth. I’ll try to find out if Demi has truly regained her memories and ask her directly why she kept me in the dark about it.

I head toward my room and almost reach it when I hear footsteps behind me.

"Ashton?"

It’s mother. My fingers curl into a fist. Inhaling sharply, I turn slowly to face her. Since I found out she bought Billion-Err and used it to attack Demi publicly, I have kept my distance and avoided her. Seeing her now only tightens the knot inside my chest. I can’t believe her innocent looking face hid such a terrible truth.

"Please talk to me," she says, walking towards me. "How long are you going to hate me?"

I say nothing in reply, just continue watching her like a hawk. When she gets too close for comfort, I put out a hand to stop her in her tracks.

"Ashton, I need to explain."

Of course, this is an act. We’ve been living like strangers for weeks and she’s never worked up the courage to face me. Why now? Only one reason comes to mind; the meeting with Dean Sawyer that’s happening soon. The truth about our biological parents is about to surface, and she is suspiciously uneasy about it.

She’s afraid of losing us.

Finally, I speak. "What do you want to explain?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

She exhales in relief. "I want to talk about Billion-Err..."

"There is nothing to talk about," I cut her off, anger simmering in my eyes. "The truth is clear as day. You quietly bought the one blog that has been a torn in our flesh and rather than ending it, you chose to weaponize it to hurt me and the woman I love. What did I miss?"

"I never meant to hurt you, Ashton."

I snort at that. "Oh really? You didn’t think painting a picture of me as a lovesick puppy who fell for the wiles of his manipulative sister-in-law was going to reflect badly on my reputation?"

Her hands are shaky now. "I went too far, I admit that but I was trying to protect the family. We were neck-deep in various criminal investigations and losing social credit daily. People thought the worst of us. I had to find a way to shift the blame, Ashton. Demi had to be the scapegoat for what she put us through with Ashal’s abduction. I thought I could garner sympathy for our family by throwing her under the bus. I’m sorry son..."

"I never imagined you of all people would enjoy destroying an innocent woman."

She wrings her hands. "Believe me, I didn’t. I thought it would pass quickly. I never wanted you to suffer."

I stare at her, disgusted. "How did you even know about me and Demi spending the night together after my birthday? You had me followed?"

She hesitates. "No. You came to breakfast glowing the next morning which was a sharp contrast to your demeanor at the party the night before. I had my suspicions and confirmed them when one of the domestic staff overheard you talking to Asher."

A cold realization settles in. How much else does she know? How long has she been listening to us through her spies?

Tears gather in her eyes. "Please forgive me. I’ll do everything in my power to do right by Demi. I’ll kiss her feet and ask for her forgiveness if that will appease you, Ashton. You’re all I care about."

I look at her and instantly want to hurt her the way she has hurt me. "I don’t recognize you anymore, mother. I thought I knew you and what you were capable of but it turns out there’s a lot behind that fragile mask you often wear." Her face crumples, giving me a level of satisfaction. I go in for the kill.

"I have nothing more to say to you. I will decide on forgiveness only after our meeting with Dean Sawyer" This time, her expression withers as I walk away.