Ashley sat in the backseat of the car with her arms crossed.

Her eyes were narrowed in thought, and her finger tapped impatiently against her arm.

She wasn’t sure whether the traffic was irritating her or if she was driving herself crazy over a memory from the past that had resurfaced today.

Meanwhile, Gustav occupied the front passenger seat.

Every now and then, he glanced at the back, slightly concerned.

Not that he minded.

Whatever had put Ashley in such a foul mood had also made her incredibly productive.

She had stopped complaining and started working like a machine.

At one point, she had even barged into his office and challenged him to give her more work.

How the tides had turned.

Khan, seated behind the wheel, checked the rearview mirror.

Since Ashley was temporarily acting as Don while Lucian focused on his recovery, there had been a few structural changes.

For one, Red and Khan now took turns accompanying her.

One of Lucian’s trusted men was also assigned to guide her through the company’s affairs. Gustav and Lukas were supposed to alternate shifts as well.

Unfortunately, one of them was being a diva.

As a result, Gustav was the one stuck working with Ashley.

"Madam," Khan called, glancing at her through the mirror. "Would you like me to take a detour so we can get to the airport faster?"

Ashley frowned.

Gustav, meanwhile, looked at Khan in disbelief.

That wasn’t a question anyone needed to ask.

Khan knew that. The real purpose was simply to interrupt whatever dangerous thoughts were brewing in Ashley’s head.

"Don’t bother." She clicked her tongue and turned toward the window. "Just turn on some music."

Khan nodded and switched on the radio. An upbeat song immediately filled the car.

Ashley’s expression soured.

"No, no. Not that." She waved a hand dismissively. "Something mellow. Use the aux."

Khan wasn’t much of a music listener, so he turned toward Gustav.

"Use mine," Gustav offered, already pulling out his phone.

A moment later, soft classical music filled the car. Ashley frowned even deeper.

"Gustav, I said mellow, not classical." She sighed dramatically. "Forget it. Connect my phone."

The two men exchanged a glance before obeying. Soon, Ashley’s playlist began playing.

A sad song immediately filled the vehicle.

Ashley leaned against the window and stared outside like the tragic heroine of a music video.

"Unbreak my heart..." She sang softly. "Say you’ll love me again..."

Khan and Gustav exchanged another look. Then they looked back at Ashley.

Neither of them said a word.

For Gustav, this was an entirely new experience.

In all the years he had worked for Lucian, he had never listened to sad breakup songs during a security detail. Nor had he ever witnessed someone turn a traffic jam into a dramatic music video.

Khan wasn’t faring much better.

Both men silently turned their attention back to the road. The same thought crossed their minds.

Ashley truly never stopped surprising people.

The journey continued with one heartbreaking song after another.

At some point, even Gustav and Khan—who had been perfectly fine moments ago—felt inexplicably melancholic.

As for Ashley, she eventually found herself waiting near the arrival area of the airport.

"This is getting out of control," she muttered with a heavy sigh. "Getting jealous over something that didn’t even happen in this lifetime."

She clicked her tongue and lightly kicked the air. "What matters is the present, not the past."

She had repeated those words to herself countless times already.

Yet she couldn’t help it.

Even when she knew she was getting angry over something that might never happen again.

Back then, Nikki had returned to their side because someone had needed to take care of Lucian. The workload on Gustav, Lukas, and everyone else had become overwhelming, prompting Nikki and a few others to come back and help.

None of that had happened this time.

Lucian hadn’t been ambushed.

He wasn’t dying.

He hadn’t undergone a transplant that left him weak and sickly.

There was no reason for Nikki to return. Especially now that she had already jumped ship.

"I wonder why this bothers me so much when it didn’t in our first life." Ashley raised her head and stared toward the arrival gates. "Tsk. Stop thinking about it."

She shook her head.

Maybe she couldn’t ask Lucian for an explanation about something that happened in a previous life.

But she could trust what they had now.

Taking a deep breath, Ashley looked up once more as the arrival doors opened.

Passengers began streaming out. Her eyes immediately searched for a familiar face.

A minute later, her face lit up.

"Auntie Liza!" Ashley waved enthusiastically. "Auntie!"

She hurried toward the barricade, waving both hands to catch Liza’s attention.

Liza looked around in confusion before spotting Ashley bouncing behind the crowd.

Her face immediately brightened.

"Oh, dear!" She hurried toward the exit.

The moment she reached Ashley, she opened her arms wide.

Ashley stepped into the embrace without hesitation. "Auntie Liz!"

"My dear," Liza laughed softly, patting Ashley’s back. "I missed you so much."

Ashley beamed as they pulled apart. Their smiles only grew wider.

Liza brushed a stray lock of hair from Ashley’s face. Her eyes softened with affection.

Even though they spoke nearly every day, it simply wasn’t the same as being together in person.

Now that she was seeing Ashley again, Liza realized just how much she had missed her.

"Right!" Ashley suddenly perked up before turning toward her guards.

To her surprise, Gustav and Khan had already collected Liza’s luggage.

"Auntie, let me—" Ashley stopped mid-sentence when the men smoothly took over.

Without missing a beat, she linked arms with Liza instead.

"I already prepared everything," she said proudly. "It was a long flight. Have you eaten yet?"

Liza chuckled. "How about you take me somewhere nice?"

"Of course!"

Ashley nodded happily.

Arm in arm, the two women made their way toward the exit. They had plenty to talk about, but leaving the airport came first.

Ashley opened the car door for Liza and waited for her to get in the car.

Just as she was about to follow, her phone buzzed.

Ashley paused.

Pulling it out, she glanced at the screen.

The smile on her face instantly disappeared.

The number wasn’t saved. Yet she knew that combination of digits by heart.

After all, it was a number she had memorized for one reason.

Because it belonged to someone who should never call her.

Someone who wasn’t supposed to call her.

Marshal.