Mariko's POV
Maddie was surprised and I couldn't stop smiling. Just looking at her reaction was like watching something from a dream. But then she turned around to face me, her surprised expression was gone. She seemed sad.
"I can't accept this," she said painfully.
It crushed my heart because I wanted to do something great for her, but I got it... Ash is the issue. He makes me even more desperate to deal with him once and for all. Through my crushed heart, I stepped closer to her and I gently placed my hands on her shoulders, holding her gaze. It was dark, but the other lights were shining, so I could see her face partially. She was still dealing with Ash. One of those reasons is that she gave the dress to her father so that her father could give it to Ash. It was bad timing on my si
