Chapter 216:
“No, thanks.” The flat refusal came quickly. Kristian’s gaze was unreadable, his eyes calm and piercing as he remarked,
“Let’s talk first.”
A ripple of unease washed over Ashley. Her guilty conscience fluttered like a trapped bird, her eyes darting away from his steady gaze. Kristian, observing her discomfort, sensed something was amiss. Under normal circumstances, he might have chalked it up to health concerns, perhaps a troubling doctor’s visit.
Ever since she lied about Freya and Liam having an affair, his trust in her had never been the same.
Ashley’s voice wavered, betraying her anxiety.
“What—What would you like to discuss?”
Kristian chose to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Ashley’s hand tightened around the glass of water before her, her face a mask of innocence and confusion.
“Why would you ask that out of the blue? Has something happened?”
“Nothing in particular,” Kristian replied evenly, his deep voice betraying no emotion.
“It’s just that Freya has been deceiving me so frequently of late. I’m beginning to fear that my life is entangled in lies.”
At his words, Ashley’s tension melted away, and she exhaled a deep breath of relief. Her shoulders eased, and she flashed him a gentle, comforting smile.
“Don’t worry. Even if the whole world deceives you, I’ll always be truthful with you.”
𝑻𝑹𝑼𝑬 𝑭𝑰𝑳𝑬: 𝒈⋅𝒂𝒍⋅𝒏⋅𝒐𝒗⋅𝒆𝒍⋅𝒔⋅𝒄𝒐⋅𝒎
“Really?”
“Don’t you believe me?”
“It’s not that I believe you.” His demeanor remained guarded, his thoughts impenetrable.
“I just needed to be sure.”
“I have never lied to you,” Ashley asserted with calm conviction, masking the deceit in her heart.
“And I never will.”
Kristian simply grunted in acknowledgment.
The room fell eerily silent, the weight of unsaid words hanging thickly in the air.
Ashley had settled into a quiet ease, her gaze clear and inquisitive as she peered across at him.
“Anything else?” she ventured softly.
Kristian’s response was crisp, each word measured.
“Once I finalize my divorce with Freya, I intend to marry you.” His tone was dispassionately businesslike as he continued,
“Before we move forward, I need to know—have you been with anyone else during our two-year separation?”
Ashley’s composure shattered instantly.
“What?” she stammered, her voice laced with disbelief.
She couldn’t fathom why he was probing into her past now; he had never seemed interested before.
Kristian, thumbing his phone with deliberate motions, didn’t miss a beat.
.
.
.