Chapter 10 - Stripping the Ashton Name
The fall of the Ashton family was swift and absolute.
By noon, the federal marshals raided Senator Ashton’s offices.
Charges of extortion, kidnapping, and financial fraud were filed before the
sunset.
Every political asset the Ashtons possessed was frozen by federal decree.
Brielle was escorted from the Union League in handcuffs.
She didn't get bail.
Her father was stripped of his committee chairmanships and faced twenty-five
years in federal prison.
As the transport van carried Brielle away, Lucy stood on the stone steps of the
building, holding my hand.
Her fingers tapped my palm:
Gone.
“Yes, sweetheart,” I signed back.
“Gone forever.”
Adrian walked out of the building, accompanied by Matteo.
He had signed the new port treaties.
His authority over the waterfront was now undisputed.
He walked straight toward us.
He knelt down in front of Lucy, lifting her chin with his thumb.
“Are you ready to go home, princess?”
Lucy smiled—a bright, dazzling smile that reached her eyes for the first time in
months.
She signed: I want pancakes.
Adrian laughed, the deep, warm sound vibrating in his chest.
“Pancakes it is. As many as you can eat.”
He looked up at me.
“Rachel. Bring your daughter, Maya, to the estate tonight. Owen needs a friend
his age.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Adrian, I’m just staff—”
“You are not staff,” Adrian said, rising to his feet and looking deeply into my
May you like
eyes.
“Not anymore.”
