Whatever the reason is, whether out of necessity, charity, or the void left by a missing sister, the outcome was the same. They had taken her in. And from the way the girl carried herself, from how well she was dressed and cared for, it was obvious she had been treated well.

Attachment was inevitable. Even a stray animal, once taken in, could become family in time. How much more a person? That thought alone tightened the knots in her chest. After everything she had gone through with Maddison and the Yorks, the unease only deepened.

Still, she did not let it show. She had learned her lesson once that bending too easily and compromising too much only gave others the chance to take more. She wouldn’t repeat that mistake.

So she remained silent while watching.

Her gaze lingered on the girl, noting every small detail, every subtle interaction. And one thing stood out immediately, and that is, the girl was deliberately showing off her closeness to the brothers.

Despite Ashley being right there in Apollo’s arms, as big a person as she was, it was impossible to miss her, and yet, not once did the girl acknowledge her. Not a glance, not a greeting, not even a passing question. Instead, she spoke casually with the brothers, as if Ashley simply didn’t exist.

It was subtle.

But to Ashley, it was clear.

This was a quiet assertion and a silent display of dominance.

Without saying a single word, the girl made her position clear. Ashley might be the rightful daughter of this family, the one who had finally returned, but that didn’t mean the other girl intended to step aside.

If anything, it felt like a quiet declaration, saying that she would remain, and she would fight for her place.

And more than that... it seemed she was already preparing to compete, to hold onto the brothers’ attention and affection, even if it meant pushing Ashley out.

Ashley could see it for what it was.

Perhaps, if she hadn’t lived through Maddison’s schemes, if she hadn’t learned how cruelty could hide beneath something as simple as a smile, she might have missed it entirely. But she wasn’t that blind anymore.

This wasn’t paranoia, nor was it some imagined slight. It was there, subtle but unmistakable, the hidden hostility in the girl’s gaze, the deliberate disregard, the unspoken challenge.

And yet... part of Ashley understood.

With a family like this, with wealth and status that far exceeded even what the Yorks or Nathan could offer, who would willingly let go? This wasn’t just comfort; it was a life that bordered on royalty. Anyone in her position would cling to it.

So, of course, the girl wouldn’t let go so easily.

"Brother Apollo, what took you so long to come back? I missed you so much. You even promised to take me shopping, and I waited and waited..."

The girl spoke with a soft pout, her voice sweet and coaxing. With her delicate features, wide, doe-like eyes, a small, refined nose, and a face that seemed almost too perfect, she looked like a living doll.

Her long blonde hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, her pale skin flawless, and her aquamarine eyes shimmered with a disarming innocence. It was the kind of appearance that invited indulgence, the kind that made people want to give in to her whims rather than deny her anything. Even her spoiled tone only seemed to make her more endearing.

Anyone else might have been charmed completely.

But Ashley saw that fleeting shift in her gaze. The sharp, dagger-like glance was thrown her way when no one else was looking.

It was enough to shatter the illusion.

As the girl continued to draw the brothers into her conversation, keeping them standing outside longer than necessary, Aunt Lavinia’s attention shifted. Her gaze flicked toward Ashley, and what she saw made her pause. Ashley was watching the girl intently, her eyes fixed, unblinking, the look in them far too sharp to be dismissed as simple curiosity.

Aunt Lavinia understood immediately.

Concern stirred within her. It wouldn’t be strange for Ashley to feel displaced, to think, even for a moment, that someone else had taken her place while she was gone. And that was something Aunt Lavinia would not allow to take root.

She stepped forward and cleared her throat, her voice calm but firm as it cut through the exchange. "This conversation can continue another time. We’ve been standing here long enough, and the wind is getting cold. It wouldn’t do for our returning princess to remain outside any longer and risk falling ill."

Her words were deliberate.

A quiet reminder to everyone present.

To the brothers, that Ashley had returned, that she was their rightful sister and the heiress of this family, not someone to be overshadowed or set aside. So they should know where their priority lies.

And to the girl... a subtler warning, but no less clear. Aunt Lavinia was setting a boundary without confrontation.

If the girl was wise, she would understand and remain within her place. And if not, then as the family’s butler and someone who had served them for years, Aunt Lavinia would not hesitate to intervene when necessary.

Aunt Lavinia had not earned her place lightly. She had grown up at her father’s side, watching him serve with unwavering loyalty, learning every nuance of duty and discipline long before he gave his life alongside the master to ensure their escape.

That legacy was not something easily forgotten. Within the family, she was more than a servant; she was respected, trusted, and regarded as kin. The brothers had long since come to treat her as an aunt in truth, and when she spoke, they listened.

And unlike them, she saw things from a different angle. As a woman, she recognized the subtleties they might overlook that was coming from another woman, the unspoken tensions, the quiet provocations.

What the girl was doing did not escape her notice. Yes, the girl may have contributed something to the family in the past, but that did not grant her the right to overstep, nor to challenge the position of the true heiress with such barely veiled confidence.

Behind Aunt Lavinia’s gentle demeanor lay something far firmer. She had personally trained every member of the household staff, instilling in them the discipline and precision expected of this family. Tradition and hierarchy were not mere formalities; they were foundations she upheld without compromise.

And she would not allow an outsider to undermine Ashley. Not here. Not in front of her.

"Right."

Apollo seemed to snap back to himself, the word leaving him almost too quickly. He had been so used to carrying Ashley, so used to how light she felt in his arms, that he had forgotten she was even there. She had been quiet, unmoving, and with the girl’s sudden appearance pulling his attention away, he had let that awareness slip entirely.

The moment he looked down, guilt struck him cold.

Ashley’s expression had changed.

She said nothing, her face calm, too calm, but her eyes... there was distance in them now. A quiet coldness that hadn’t been there before. It was subtle, almost easy to miss, but to Apollo, it felt like a sharp drop in temperature.