Seven in the evening, at Ashford mansion,
Nestled away from the bustling city of Velmora, Ashford Mansion was tucked quietly at the foot of a hill. The car entered the driveway of a huge estate overlooking the mansion, which was a spectacle of wealth. It was bold, commanding, and unapologetically grand.
Every corner scread extravagance, from the endless balconies to the marble terraces and the multi-tiered pool crowned with a golden fountain. It wasn’t just luxurious, it was built to be seen, envied, and rembered.
Damien hated it, not for its excess, but for what it cost to the family business. Every stone, every chandelier was a monunt to Damien’s father, Maxwell Ashford’s ego. It was exactly why Damien had to fight tooth and nail for the CEO position.
But Aveline knew Damien didn’t hate the mansion as much as he loved himself, power, and Vivienne Sinclair.
The car slowed to a stop, Aveline stepped out, and t the housekeeper already waiting at the entrance.
"Welco, Mrs. Ashford. Right this way."
Aveline followed without a word. Her heels were muted against the plush carpet of the hallway, as the mories flooded. She had lived here for months in quiet isolation before being transferred to the hospital.
Now she walked in whole, sharp, and painfully aware of the true colors of each person who lived there.
...
In the vast dining hall, two won were already waiting.
"Aveline!" The familiar voice was too eager to be genuine.
Selene Ashford, Damien’s younger sister, was in her late twenties. She was poised yet sharp-tongued. She viewed Aveline as an unworthy outsider in a family. She was so obsessed with the legacy of Ashford that she had cursed Aveline countless tis, wishing her dead so Damien could remarry.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say Selene had manipulated Aveline to pressure Damien for a second marriage.
What Aveline still didn’t understand was why Damien waited so long to kill her and marry Vivienne Sinclair.
Did he have another motive?
Caught off guard when Selene offered a warm hug, Aveline accepted it, reminding herself she was still a new bride.
"Ms. Ashford, I thought you were still abroad," Aveline said.
Selene had married a foreign celebrity and settled there. She would be divorced within a year for her obnoxious behavior.
"Ca back yesterday. Jet lag is still killing ." Selene guided her toward the dining table, all smiles.
Seated at the head of the table was Cassandra Ashford. The lady of the house masked her cruelty behind polished grace and cold judgnt.
The mont Aveline saw Cassandra, her hands and feet turned cold. The mories ca crashing down on her.
The tis Cassandra purposefully spilled hot tea on her, the pain of falling on her face whenever Cassandra tripped her, and starving her for days.
Her heart ramd against her ribs, and she felt like throwing up. She wasn’t just emotionally and verbally abused, but physically mistreated by her mother-in-law.
’No, Aveline, not now.’ Aveline reminded herself that she wasn’t naive anymore. She had to be strong.
Cassandra’s smile cracked at the edges as her eyes swept over Aveline’s outfit. "Aveline, we were waiting."
Composed, "I rushed here as soon as I could, Mrs. Ashford." Aveline replied smoothly, "Didn’t want to look a ss in front of you." She added it because Damien would have notified her about her visit to Sterling Villa.
Cassandra’s eyes flicked back to her blouse, "You look plain, dear. As Damien’s wife, I expect a little more presence."
In other words, a statent fashion, but not one that outshines Cassandra and Selene.
Selene bit back a grin, sipping her water to hide her smirk.
Aveline just blinked innocently. "Oh?" She said, glancing at her outfit, "Damien said it matched your taste. Picked it out himself." She had learnt to lie without blinking.
Selene coughed, nearly spitting out her water.
Cassandra’s smile tensed. The previous ti, Aveline had apologised for her, but this ti?
"He doesn’t know won’s fashion," she snapped at Aveline. "Let’s eat."
But Aveline didn’t reach for her spoon. Instead, she checked the hallway, then turned to the housekeeper, "Where is grandmother Ashford?"
Cassandra’s hand froze midair.
The housekeeper glanced at Cassandra, then hesitantly answered, "Madam Ashford is having dinner in the sunroom."
Aveline tilted her head, "Alone? Why?" She glanced at Cassandra, "Isn’t this Ashford’s ladies’ dinner?"
"She enjoys quiet," Cassandra said quickly, her voice sharp, "She prefers it that way. You’ll understand, eventually."
Even in the past, Cassandra made her believed Damien’s paternal grandmother had an awful personality during every visit. And she foolishly believed Cassandra.
Aveline fell silent for a mont. Just when Cassandra eased, she added sweetly. "That’s strange. Wouldn’t we feel hurt if our own family separated us just because of age?"
Before either woman could respond, she said, "Please have my food sent to the sunroom." She instructed the housekeeper.
Selene blinked, "Wait, you’re actually going?" Disbelief laced her tone.
Aveline smiled. "Since I’m new to the family, let’s see if I can bring so positive change."
And she walked away, leaving stunned silence in her wake.
....
Selene burst out laughing the mont Aveline was out of their sight.
"God, Mom, Bro was right. She’s too kind for her own bad." She kept laughing.
Cassandra’s face hardened. "That stupid girl, does she not understand I will be the matriarch soon?" She hissed. "She needs to be taught."
...
Two hours passed,
Still, there was no sign of Aveline. Cassandra was prepared to teach a lesson to Aveline, but she was growing restless with each passing minute.
"Selene, go and check on them."
Selene slumped into the couch, "No way, Mom." She flatly refused
Then laughter echoed down the hallway. It was bright, genuine, but unmistakably old.
Cassandra’s eyes widened before she even got a glimpse of her mother-in-law.
Eleanor Ashford, elegant even in her eighties, entered with a cane in one hand and Aveline’s arm on the other. Her face glowed, cheeks flushed with amusent.
Cassandra shot up, her spine stiffening, cold beads of sweat on her forehead, "Mother." She said stiffly with a forced bow.
Eleanor barely glanced at her.
"You silly girl, I’m not twenty." She said to Aveline, who giggled softly.
Selene scrambled to her feet. "Grandmother..."
Eleanor’s gaze sharpened, and a frown quickly ford. "Why are you here again? Don’t you have a husband?" It hadn’t even been fifteen days since her last visit.
Selene shrank under her stare.
Cassandra, who hated Aveline’s presence the most. Still cleared her throat to defend her daughter. "She was just visiting..."
"No one asked you," Eleanor said, without even looking at Cassandra.
Aveline blinked. The shift in power was dizzying.
Cassandra, once untouchable, now looked like a school bully summoned to the principal’s office.
Aveline almost gasped at the realization. It wasn’t Cassandra who isolated Eleanor. Eleanor avoided Cassandra.
Why?
Thinking back, when she was living in Ashford mansion, Cassandra stopped visiting her the mont Eleanor started showing up at her room.
Nonetheless, she didn’t dare to pry. She would take her ti.
Thus, she quietly followed Eleanor out of the mansion.
....
The cabana sat quiet under the moonlight, covered in the hush of pine and lake. The lanterns flickered low, casting a warm glow on the wood as the lake mirrored the silver sky of the night.
Aveline admired the view. She was visiting there for the first ti. She snapped out of a trance when cold air kissed her skin. "This place might turn into my favorite, too." It was calming.
Eleanor smiled in response as she continued to study the young lady.
Draping a warm throw over Eleanor’s shoulder, Aveline sat down and poured tea for both.
"You’ve changed," Eleanor finally said, her tone light but curious.
Aveline sipped her tea. From naive to calculating was a drastic shift. "Hopefully for the better." She didn’t deny the change.
A knowing smile appeared on Eleanor’s face. "Last ti you visited, you barely spoke. Afraid to disappoint Cassandra, stayed under Damien’s shadow." It was common at the beginning of the marriage; however, "This ti, you walk like you own the place."
Aveline was caught, yet she replied softly, "I wouldn’t dare."
Eleanor shook her head in resignation. "I may be old, Aveline. But when you need , I’ll have your back."
Aveline: "..."
She froze. She felt it in her bones.
Eleanor knew sothing. She knew sothing was going wrong with her.
But what exactly did she know?
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