The drive home was awfully quiet. Elisa couldn't wrap her head around what had just occured. She thought the ship was sailing nicely, only to get rejected in the end.
When she got home she ordered the nurse to take her to her room declaring that she wasn't going to be having dinner today.
After taking her bath with the help of her nurse, she spent a great deal of time trying to think how to get Anderson to be on the same page as her, how would she make him agree to her request of using his manpower to investigate Bella and Jake, just how?
Before she went to bed she picked up her phone and messaged Anderson,
"Hey Mr Bryns, please just hear me out, Elisa's death wasn't random, and I have reasons to believe it's someone close like Jake, can't you see it?"
She reread the message three times before hitting send and then she went back off to bed with Miso on bed with her.
She woke up the next morning with her head throbbing with pain, she felt like it was probably due to the fact that she spent a lot of time thinking and she went to bed quite late. She picked up her phone which was on top the bed
and immediately check if he replied to her, mentally noting her appointment with the doctor to finally remove the cast.. There was no reply from him.
' Well that's fine I can wait.'
Elisa spent the entire day cooped up inside the house, Ethan had gone to work, early as usual. She couldn't care less about him now that she had the number.
She checked her phone every hour to see if he had replied, but there was still no response.
She couldn't call him, he wouldn't pick. She didn't know what else to do, she could only try to convince him through her texts to see if she could sway him.
....
It had been three days since she met Anderson and yet there was still no reply from him. She has consistently sent him messages since that day hoping for a response but still hasn't gotten.
Elisa was in the living room playing with Miso when she took her phone for a moment and sent Anderson another text, well her fifth text in three days.
" Anderson, please, help me, to seek justice for Elisa. She deserves this."
She set the phone down beside her on the couch and sighed.
" Now let's see what we have here," she muttered, scratching behind Miso's ear. The little white and ginger cat purred softly, rolling onto its back with its purr stretched out like she was waiting for tummy rubs.
Elisa leaned back, her mind already spinning with possibilities, her thumb tracing lazy circles on the cat's fur.
She didn't even notice the phone buzzing until Miso's head perked up.
Her heart skipped. She snatched the phone. Anderson.
She hesitated for half a breath before answering.
"Hello?"
His voice came through, " I'll send you the number of a private investigator, but we will need to meet in person to know our every step," he said.
A wave of relief hit her so hard that she almost shouted out loud. " Thank you so much and I'll see you soon."
She hung up the phone unable to stop the triumphant smile tugging at her lips.
She scooped the cat into her arms and kissed her, " O Miso baby, I did it."
The cat blinked at her and meowed.
She was still smiling when she heard a clearing of throat. She went still for a moment, then turned her neck slowly. Ethan stood near the edge of the living room, one hand in pocket and his tie slightly loosened.
"I was speaking to one of my girlfriends. We are planning on meeting up soon."
He studied her for a moment, his eyes flickering between the phone in her hands and her face.
"I didn't ask," he responded. 'Cold'
" Dinner's ready ," A maid announced and he simply turned towards the dining room.
The both of them sat across each other munching in their meal.
She watched him for a moment. Normally, she'd ignore him too, but tonight… she wanted to try.
She wanted to engage him in a conversation today, after all she was feeling quite happy
"Ethan," she said softly.
He glanced up briefly, one brow raised.
Her fingers toyed with the hem of the tablecloth. "Rough day at work?"
He gave a small scoff. "Same as every other day."
"Right," she said quickly, forcing a smile. "I guess that means you handled it perfectly, as always."
He didn't smile back. "You don't have to do that."
"Do what?"
"This… act. Whatever you're trying to do." His voice was flat.
For some reason Elisa's heart tightened at his words, but she felt like it wasn't her reaction but that of the actual owner of the body Ashley.
Ethan set his fork down with a quiet clink. "Stop whatever you're trying to do. You'll never stand a chance."
Her breath caught. Her chest constricted. You'll never stand a chance.
She'd heard that before. Somewhere.
Her pulse pounded in her ears. A sharp pain exploded behind her eyes, spreading like fire through her skull.
She gasped, clutching her head. "Ah"
" Ashley?" Ethan stood immediately, his chair scraping against the floor.
The dizziness came in waves and the room spun violently. She could barely make out his shape through the haze. Her body trembled; her vision flickered white. Then the scene in front of her changed.
There was a faint echo of applause. Ashley stood before Ethan, her face glowing under the archway of white blooms.
"Do you, Ethan Walker, take Ashley to be your lawfully wedded wife…"
He answered without hesitation, his voice steady, his expression unreadable.
"I do."
When it was her turn, Ashley's voice quivered.
"I do."
They kissed or at least, they touched lips long enough for the guests to cheer.
It was supposed to be their wedding night. Then the scene changed again. She was standing in from of a door.
She knocked softly, then pushed the door open.
Ethan stood by the window, tie undone, staring out into the night.
He didn't turn when she entered.
"I thought you might still be awake," she said, her voice small. "We… we haven't really talked all day."
He didn't answer.
She took a few tentative steps closer. "Ethan…"
Her throat tightened. "Is it me? Did I do something wrong?"
Still silence.
So she reached out, just lightly, her fingertips brushing his arm. That's when he turned. His eyes held no atom of feeling or affection for her.
"Stop," he said.
Her breath caught. "Ethan, I…just tell me what you want me to do…"
" Stop whatever you're trying to do." His tone was cold, deliberate. Each word carved into her chest. "You'll never stand a chance."
She froze.
He stepped back from her touch as though it burned. "Here's what you can do, Ashley. Give it up. There's someone in my heart, and you could never warm your way into it. You could never make me love you," he paused, " don't forget this is a contract marriage, you signed those papers, don't pester me Ashley."
He walked past her, leaving the faint scent of cologne in his wake, and disappeared into the adjoining room closing the door behind him.
Ashley sank slowly to her knees, staring at the polished floor and tears began to slide down her cheeks.
Then the scenes after that came in flashes, from Ashley cooking for Ethan and sending it to the office, and the several attempts she made at chasing him, and trying to be close to him and getting him to like her.
Then she felt it again, the sharp pain in her head. Her breath came out in short, uneven bursts, her pulse hammering in her ears. She could feel someone calling Ashley repeatedly.
"Ashley, Ashley look at me, can you hear me?"
She blinked rapidly, trying to see who was in front of her, then she saw Ethan holding her cheeks looking down on her worriedly.
" I'm alright," she said, removing his hands from her cheeks. When she looked around, some of the house keepers and kitchen staff were around peeking at her curiously and worriedly, when she looked down at herself she was no longer in the wedding gown but on the casual clothes she had worn earlier on today.
"Do I need to call the doctor, or your nurse maybe?"
"No. I just need some rest"
His gaze lingered on her for a moment, " well I'll take you upstairs"
Elisa looked down at her trembling hands, her heart still racing.
Those scenes… Those words…
They weren't just imagination. There were memories. Memories of the body's owner.