Chapter 87

While a heavy, reflective silence filled Vivian’s room, the atmosphere on the other side of the Norton mansion was thick with a far more volatile energy.

Fabian stepped into the bedroom, his expression grim and eyes clouded with a dark, simmering anger. Ashley, who had already changed into a delicate silk nightgown, hurried toward him, winding her arms tightly around his.

“Fabian, where have you been?” she pouted, her voice a practiced lulling tone. “I’ve been waiting for you forever after my shower.”

Under the dim, amber lighting, she looked undeniably seductive. The lace of her gown was sheer and inviting, and she shifted closer, pressing herself against him in an attempt to soften his mood.

But Fabian remained stoic, his body as rigid as stone. He looked down at her, his gaze chillingly cold. “Ashley, is there something you want to explain to me?”

Ashley blinked, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. Inside, her heart skipped a beat at his directness. “Explain what? What’s wrong, Fabian? You’re acting so strange.”

“The photos today.” Seeing her play the fool only snapped the last of his patience. He roughly shook her off. “Who gave you permission to release those photos of Vivian?”

Ashley’s face went deathly pale in an instant. Does he know? How could he know I was the culprit?

“Fabian... I... perhaps you’ve misunderstood?” she stammered, her voice trembling as she tried to regain her footing. “I have no idea how those indecent photos of my sister appeared on that screen, but you have to believe me—”

“Ashley Miller! Enough!” Fabian’s voice rose, sharp with annoyance. He looked at her not with love, but with a burgeoning sense of disgust. “Stop pretending. Great-Grandpa has already found out the truth. Do you have any idea how this reflects on me? To have my fiancée causing such a disgusting fiasco at a family summit?”

Ashley felt the world tilt. Even the Elder Mr. Norton knows?

The realization hit her like a physical blow. In her desperation to ruin Vivian, she had accidentally set her own house on fire. She looked at Fabian and realized he was her only lifeline. Her eyes welled with tears—a specialty of hers—and she grabbed his sleeves piteously.

“Fabian, I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry,” she sobbed, letting the tears track down her cheeks. “I was just... I was blinded by my own emotions. I wasn’t thinking straight. You won’t leave me because of this, will you?”

Ashley was a beautiful woman, and the sight of her crumbling in sorrow was enough to trigger a reluctant sympathy in Fabian. After all, she was his partner. His anger began to lose its edge, replaced by a weary sigh.

“Ashley, tell me the truth,” he said, his voice softening slightly. “Why? Why would you do something so low?”

Ashley bit her lip, whispering through her tears, “Because I’m terrified...”

“Terrified of what?”

“I’m terrified that you still love her! I see the way you look at her, Fabian. I’m so scared you’ll rekindle things with her and... and you’ll abandon me.”

Fabian hadn't expected such a raw confession. He stood stunned for a moment, looking at her tear-stained face. A wave of guilt washed over him, and he pulled her into a tight, protective embrace.

“You little fool,” he whispered into her ear. “After the repugnant scandal Vivian was involved in two years ago, do you really think I’d ever go back to her?”

Ashley leaned into his chest, but his words offered her no real comfort. Even his promise felt like a hollow shield against the reality of the day's events. The insecurity that had taken root in her heart only seemed to grow thorns.

“Fabian,” she asked softly, her voice muffled against his shirt. “If you had known... back then... that my sister didn't actually do those things. If she was innocent... would you have stayed with her?”

That question had been a thorn in Ashley’s flesh for two years.

She had assumed that once they were separated, they would drift apart like strangers in a crowded city. Life wasn't supposed to be a drama where the leads kept crossing paths. But fate had been cruel; Fabian had become Vivian’s superior at work, and Vivian had married into the family as his aunt.

Ashley had lived in constant fear that Vivian would finally speak up and explain what had really happened that night two years ago. For some reason, Vivian never had. But seeing Fabian’s lingering obsession with his ex-girlfriend lately, Ashley realized she had underestimated their bond.

She felt a cold prickle of panic. If the truth ever came to light, would Fabian drop everything to find his way back to Vivian?