My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin novel Chapter 353

Chapter 353: That Would Be Lovely

"Everything alright, dear?" Ashley snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Liza’s voice.

She blinked and looked across the table at the woman seated opposite her.

"Ah, yes, Auntie." She forced a smile. "I’m just... thinking about something. Sorry."

Liza raised a brow and leaned forward slightly. The gentle smile on her face softened.

"What is it?" she asked. "What’s bothering you?"

Ashley clasped her hands in her lap and studied the concern in Liza’s eyes.

A moment later, she let out a defeated sigh.

Truthfully, there had been a lot on her mind lately.

Aside from Lucian’s treatment, she couldn’t stop wondering who had sent Lucian’s medical records to Raka’s doorstep. Then there were the documents she had reviewed earlier, some of which contained deals she found concerning.

And now Marshal was adding to the growing pile.

Still, she couldn’t unload all of that onto Liza.

The woman had only just arrived in the country to visit her and attend the grand opening.

"I’m just thinking..." Ashley lowered her gaze to the table. Hesitation gnawed at her.

After a moment, she looked back up with a wry smile.

"...about my husband."

Liza listened quietly.

"Lucian makes me happy," Ashley continued. "He goes above and beyond to make me feel loved. But even when I know he’s mine, I can’t help worrying that because he’s Lucian... someone might try to take what’s mine."

It wasn’t a lie.

It simply wasn’t the biggest thing weighing on her mind.

Ashley sighed. "But what scares me the most is the thought that he might end up falling for someone else."

Liza listened carefully before letting out a small chuckle.

"I’m sorry." She waved a hand. "I’m not laughing at you."

Ashley frowned. "Auntie, did that sound shallow?"

"Of course not, dear." Liza shook her head. "I think everyone who’s truly in love worries about something like that at least once."

When her amusement faded, she studied Ashley with a thoughtful smile.

Ashley had always been beautiful. Yet lately, there was something different about her.

Something brighter.

Something that seemed to glow from within.

"Ashley," Liza said gently, "didn’t I tell you before that your Uncle Tom and I had a lot of misunderstandings?"

Ashley nodded.

Liza had mentioned it before, though only in passing. Usually, she and Tommy would laugh about it and call themselves foolish.

This was the first time Liza seemed willing to share the details.

"Our relationship started with misunderstandings," Liza continued. "And somehow, they followed us for years."

Her smile turned faint. "Even after we opened our hearts to each other and resolved some of them, new misunderstandings kept appearing."

Ashley listened attentively.

"There was a time when I was ready to ask him for a divorce."

Ashley’s eyes widened. "Really?"

Liza nodded.

"I reached a point where I questioned his love, his sincerity, and even his faithfulness." A brief silence followed, and she continued. "At one point, I convinced myself he loved his work more than he loved me."

Her gaze softened with old memories.

"Our marriage became a battlefield. Every day felt like another fight we had to survive." A shallow breath escaped her. "But do you know what was worse than the arguments? Worse than the screaming? Worse than the slamming doors?"

Ashley quietly shook her head.

"It’s watching the person you love become someone you resent." Liza’s voice lowered. "It’s waking up and realizing the future you once dreamed about together has become a life where you feel miserable, lonely, and isolated."

Ashley furrowed her brows.

The marriage she had witnessed between Tommy and Liza was nothing like what she was hearing now.

In her eyes, they were the picture of a perfect couple.

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