"Darling, how are you?" A sweet, familiar voice greeted her.
"Hi Auntie! I'm fine. How about you?"
"Very good."
"Auntie, by any chance, did you talk to Skylar?" Ashley asked, hopeful. She didn't have time to waste. Within a few minutes, she would be called out.
"Yes, about an hour ago. She's going to be away for a few days. She had to fly to Europe for something urgent."
Something dropped in the pit of her stomach. Mrs Rodriguez spoke but she was in no correct frame of mind to process it.
"Ashley? Are you still there?" Mrs. Rodriguez's voice came through the speaker.
Ashley held the phone between her fingers. "Ah—yes. She wasn't answering my calls, so I got a little worried."
"Don't worry. Her father was supposed to attend the meeting, but she insisted on going instead." She chuckled. "Can you believe it's the same girl who once fought so hard against this future for herself?"
Ashley drew a labored breath. It was intentional. Skylar left because she didn't want to be here.
Her grip on the phone tightened—not in anger, but in quiet self-mockery.
Had she just lost the only person who had ever been kind to her?
It wasn't Skylar's fault. It was hers.
Skylar was simply running away from it all. But why? If anyone should've been running, it was her.
Ashley tried to sound normal. "Yes, I understand. Mrs. Rodriguez, would it be alright if I catch up with you later? I'm a bit tied up at the moment."
"Of course, honey. Take care."
Beep.
The call ended.
Still holding the phone, Ashley absentmindedly placed it on the table. Her gaze remained fixed on a single spot, preventing the emotions threatening to rise.
She longed for nothing more than a sense of belonging. How would it feel to have someone-anyone, by her side right now?
She blinked a few times, pushing back the tears.
Ashley had never felt this before—the ache of a bond slipping out of her grasp. And she never imagined it would feel like this with Skylar.
Could she do anything for it?
---
The venue of the wedding ceremony had been kept confidential to avoid attracting paparazzi.
It was located on the outskirts of the city, nestled in the hills.
Since it was winter, the hills weren't yet adorned with flowers; otherwise, the view would have been breathtaking.
She had visited this area once before, not this resort but nearby during spring time. It was with Skylar and her parents.
Skylar had insisted on a family picnic and had been adamant about bringing Ashley along. It was Ashley's first outing with anyone.
Everything had seemed so beautiful back then.
Ashley looked out the large windows at the pale sky. The clouds hung low, and a gentle breeze stirred the trees.
But all Ashley could feel was isolation. There was no one by her side. She was all alone.
She had come to terms with her being an orphan quite early in life, around the age of eight or nine.
Since then, she had trained herself to feel nothing at the mention of the word family, to stop herself from even mourning the absence of it.
But there were moments, like this one, when she simply couldn't manage it.
Right now, she wished more than she ender did that she wasn't an orphan.
Even the thought of hiring someone to pretend to be her family for the day felt oddly comforting.
Her eyes drifted to the mirror.
Ashley knew she looked beautiful today.
The gown she wore was satin with long sleeves and elegant embroidery along the hem of the skirt.
Her hair was swept into a graceful bun, giving her a poised and refined appearance.
She looked exquisite—but even a fool could look into her eyes and see the emptiness.
The hollowness in her gaze was impossible to hide.
One thought lingered in her mind:
Who would walk her down the aisle?
Michael knew she was an orphan. There was no way he would have overlooked this.
He was too efficient. He must have already arranged for someone to act as her next-of-kin, just to avoid gossip.
Ashley knew it was foolish to dwell on all of this.
There was a knock at the door. She turned.
"Oh my gosh! You look… ethereal!" Amelia exclaimed, stepping into the room.
Ashley gave a small smile, holding back tears. Not here. Not in front of anyone.
"Come in, let us have a look too!" Sally Clark playfully nudged Amelia and beamed warmly.
"You truly do look ethereal, my dear," she said as she stepped forward, Jonathan Clark by her side.
Sally Clark was a philanthropist who ran an organization dedicated to marine conservation.
Ashley hadn't known much about her before, but in the past few weeks, she had researched everything she could about the Clark family.
And it would be an understatement to say that Sally Clark was the most genuine and soft-hearted among them.
"Thank you so much," Ashley said sincerely.
"So, how are you feeling? Nervous?" Sally asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ashley offered a soft smile and nodded slightly.
Nervous was too less of a word to describe her state of mind. She was terrified!
A constant fear tugged at the edges of her thoughts. What if she was walking into a life far worse than anything she had experienced so far?
"Oh, I understand," Sally said with a laugh. "I was terrified on my wedding day. At least yours is for love! I met Jonathan just two days before our wedding!"
How badly Ashley wanted to correct her.
Theirs wasn't a love marriage either.
It was a marriage of convenience—two parties making a deal, each benefiting in their own manner.