Ashley’s POV
I lay in bed, wide awake, staring at the ceiling as the hours ticked by. My mind was a storm, churning with thoughts and fears. The wedding was set for tonight. And there was no escape.
Marrying a man as ruthless as Steven felt like plunging into darkness. The kind of darkness you don’t come back from. I hadn’t told anyone—not even Mabel, my best friend. Keeping it all hidden felt like carrying a weight too heavy to bear.
The door creaked open, and Mabel’s face appeared in the dim light.
"Still awake?" she asked, slipping inside without waiting for an answer.
I nodded, shifting to sit up. "Yeah... seems sleep doesn’t want to visit me tonight."
She sighed, moving to sit beside me. “I get it. Tonight’s... a lot to handle, Ash.” Her voice softened. "I still don’t understan
