My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin novel Chapter 245

Chapter 245: Don’t Feel Guilty

"Ashley, dear?"

Ashley flinched and snapped her eyes back to her computer screen, finding Liza looking at her with quiet curiosity. Liza’s background showed the inside of her workshop, which was the place she had always been.

They just finished a meeting with Shyaan and Mister Ramirez, but they idled in the call as usual.

"Are you okay, dear?" Liza asked gently. "You were zoning out. Do I bore you now?"

"Ah." Ashley let out a small chuckle. "Sorry, Auntie. I’m just thinking about something."

"Haha! I’m only teasing," Liza said warmly. "I know you’ve been working hard lately."

Not really — at least, not in the way people would expect.

"I told your Uncle Tom you already found a building for your office, and he got so excited. He said he’ll clear his schedule for the blessing." Liza set down the flower she had been arranging and leaned back slightly. "He’s so happy about it, I have to scold him for talking about it nonstop." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Hehe."

"But is everything alright on your end, dear?" she asked. "Don’t rush things just because everyone around you is excited. And don’t let Shyaan pressure you over the party. As long as you’re delivering on your end, there’s no need to feel pushed. Shyaan’s just being... Shyaan."

Ashley chuckled softly. "Auntie Shyaan isn’t pressuring me. If anything, I’m grateful. She’s been sending me people who can help with everything."

Even though Lucian had also offered — and Ashley knew he had people perfectly suited for this kind of work — it still felt nice having others genuinely excited for her.

"Auntie..." Ashley drew a slow breath and rested her arms on the table. "Can I ask you something more personal?"

Liza raised a brow. "What is it, dear?"

"Well..." Ashley rubbed the back of her neck. "You told me before that Uncle Tommy used to be part of a big organization. That he rose through the ranks until he stood at the top of it."

She paused, watching Liza carefully. The older woman simply nodded for her to continue.

"How did Uncle Tommy manage to leave it?" Ashley asked quietly. "I mean... how did he actually get out?"

"Ahh... that." Liza hummed softly before her eyes softened. "He didn’t."

"Huh?"

"What I mean is, Tommy had friends in power. Dangerous people if crossed," Liza explained. "Tommy always says he was lucky — and he was. Because he befriended the right people, and those people helped him step away from that world."

She paused, her smile turning faintly bittersweet.

"But that’s just an illusion, my dear. Stepping away... is just an illusion we built and chose to protect. Tommy may have stopped doing the things that once sustained him, but when the moment comes, he still has to make choices tied to that world."

Ashley’s brows slowly knitted together.

Even though they stayed in touch, this wasn’t something they talked about often. But lately, with everything happening in Dominion, Ashley kept thinking about Liza and Tommy.

If they managed to build a life outside that world... was it really impossible for her, Lucian, and Primo to do the same?

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