Ashley stayed with Liza for a while before personally dropping her off at the hotel where she would be staying.

Liza had arrived earlier than necessary for the grand opening, but that only meant they would have more time to spend together.

Truthfully, Ashley had missed her far more than she expected.

So even with her busy schedule, she didn’t mind setting aside time for a woman who had never shown her anything but kindness. Liza was one of the rare, true adults who had entered her life and made her feel safe.

Seated in the backseat, Ashley smiled faintly as she massaged her shoulder. She stared out the window, the smile lingering on her lips.

The change in her mood didn’t escape either Khan or Gustav.

Khan glanced at her through the rearview mirror. Gustav quietly observed from the passenger seat.

The two men exchanged a look. Their eyes spoke volumes, but neither said a word.

They were both afraid of ruining her surprisingly pleasant mood.

"I wonder..." Ashley trailed off when something vibrated inside her handbag.

She pulled out her phone.

The same unsaved number appeared on the screen.

"...I wonder if doing a thousand good deeds would earn me the chance to be born as her daughter." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

At that moment, all Ashley could think about was how cruel her previous life had been.

How terrible must she have been in a past life to be born as Marshal Di Carpio’s daughter?

She must have committed countless sins to deserve such a miserable beginning.

Ashley took a deep breath and let the phone continue ringing until it stopped.

Then she looked up.

Immediately, she caught Gustav looking away. At the same time, Khan shifted his eyes from the rearview mirror.

Clearly, both men had noticed the moment her smile disappeared.

"Gustav."

He turned around at once. "Yes, Madam?"

Ashley held up her phone. "If Lucian received a call from someone unpleasant, what would he do as the Don of Dominion?"

Deep lines formed on Gustav’s forehead. The question caught him off guard. Even so, he considered it seriously.

"It depends on who the person is."

Ashley tilted her head. "Not on how unpleasant they are?"

Gustav shook his head. "In that position, dealing with unpleasant people is sometimes unavoidable."

His gaze briefly dropped to the illuminated screen in her hand.

"I’m not in a position to tell you whether you should answer or not," he said carefully. "But from what I know of the master, he usually judges based on the person’s intentions."

Ashley listened quietly.

Truthfully, she hadn’t asked because she wanted advice.

She was simply curious.

Lucian sat at the very top of a dangerous food chain.

She couldn’t help wondering whether he still weighed these things the same way she did.

"If someone is acting out of character, the master usually gives them a chance," Gustav continued. "If their intentions are already obvious, he tends to ignore them."

He paused. "Sometimes, it also depends on whether he finds them interesting." A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Either way, no one will judge your decision." He lowered his head respectfully. "You are the Madam and acting Don, after all."

If anyone had a problem with it, it would be the High Chamber.

But after the disaster they caused while Lucian was unconscious, they would likely keep their heads down for a while. At least before finding new things to complain about.

"I see," Ashley nodded. "Thanks." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Gustav returned the nod and settled back into his seat.

Then he turned toward Khan. "Earplugs."

Khan blinked.

"And the partition."

Without question, Khan pressed a button.

The divider between the front and back seats slowly rose. Both men put in their earplugs as if this were perfectly normal.

As though they already knew Ashley was about to have a conversation she didn’t want overheard.

Khan was still learning.

And apparently, he was learning very well from Black Dragon’s right hand.

Meanwhile, Ashley leaned back and stared at her phone.

"Depends on the interest, huh?" She slowly rocked her head. "If he calls again, I might..."

Her voice trailed off.

The screen lit up once more.

The same number.

Ashley stared at it.

She didn’t answer immediately.

Never in her life had she imagined Marshal would call her personally.

That man never contacted her directly. He always sent someone else.

A subordinate.

An assistant.

A messenger.

Anyone but himself.

She wasn’t even allowed to call him.

The first and last time she had tried, he beat her badly enough to leave her with a broken rib and a fractured hip.

Ashley inhaled deeply. Then she answered; the phone touched her ear.

"I’m in the country." Marshal’s voice came through immediately. "Come to this address in one hour."

Click.

The call ended.

That was all.

Ashley sat frozen, her jaw tightened.

For a second, even her breathing stopped.

Then her phone vibrated again. This time, a message.

The address of a restaurant.

"I really am jealous that Lucian killed his mother." Ashley muttered the words under her breath.

At this point, she had already given herself enough reasons to justify it. Even if Lucian had never explained everything. If he had done it, she knew he had a reason.

Besides, the signs had always been there.

Lucian hadn’t even blinked when she destroyed the late Madam’s garden.

The man clearly had no attachment to his parents.

"I wonder if I can just kill him." Her thumbnail scraped against the edge of her phone. "Without having to think about all the political bullshit they keep dragging into it."

She pinched the bridge of her nose as a headache throbbed behind her eyes.

Maybe it was exhaustion.

Maybe it was the burden of temporarily living Lucian’s life.

Or maybe it was the flood of unpleasant memories that a single phone number had managed to drag out from the deepest corners of her mind.

*****

Meanwhile...

"I wonder..."

Lucian tapped his finger against the steering wheel. His eyes remained fixed on the road. A murderous glint flickered within them.

Whether it came from the poison still lingering in his system or from the information extracted from the captive man, even he wasn’t entirely sure.

Because if what the prisoner had revealed were true...

Then the possibility that Marshal was involved in the child trafficking cases was disturbingly high.

"...if I can just kill him myself."

The words left Lucian’s mouth at the exact moment Ashley was thinking the same thing.

Could they just take Marshal’s life?