Ashley’s POV
The air was heavy, thick with some sort of weird energy that tingled my skin and sent shivers crawling up my spine. My breath clogged in the back of my throat as this man before me-this stranger yet somehow not a stranger-smiled, his eyes shining bright with something that knotted my stomach.
“It’s been such a long time, daughter,” he murmured, his voice eerily soft, almost reverent. “I’ve waited ages for this moment.”
I barely registered the way my fingers curled into fists at my sides. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out the sound of my own shaky breath.
Wh. what? I stuttered, my voice barely above a whisper. Everything around me seemed to blur, the world a great shifting mass, as though the seams of reality were breaking apart.
Beside me, Liam turned to Ivan. His brow furrowed and his stance went stiff, his normally sharp, controlled demeanor faltered as his gaze darted from Ivan to me and back. “What’s going on, Ivan?” he demanded, suspicion creeping in.
Ivan didn’t even acknowledge him, his eyes never leaving mine. He took another step forward; the action was deliberate, his face unreadable.
“Daughter,” he repeated, now with a raspy voice, as if that word were holy to him.
Instinctively, I stepped back, my body responding before my brain could process the weight of his words. Steven stepped in front of me, almost instantly adopting a protective stance. His presence was grounding; a shield between me and this man who claimed to be my father.
Steven’s voice sliced through the thick tension like a blade. “Who are you?” The words came out calm, but beneath the surface, there was a marked edge, a warning.
Ivan breathed out, and his head went to one side as if he were disappointed. “Do you remember, Liam?” he said finally, looking at him. “When you came to me, begging for power, hungry for strength? I refused you at first. To me, you were just another lost soul seeking something you didn’t deserve. But then… I found out the truth about your lineage. That changed everything.
Liam’s jaw clenched and his fingers slightly curled, but he said nothing.
Ivan continued, his gaze flicking back to me. “I told you that you would lead me to someone I had been searching for, someone I had long thought lost to me. And here she is.” He lifted a hand toward me, a slow, almost gentle gesture. “My very own daughter.” His lips curved into a small smile. “Move aside, Steven. I must see her. It has been far too long.”
A chill ran down my spine, coursing into my limbs like ice. Every fiber of my being screamed to run, to put as much distance between me and this man as possible. My fingers clutched desperately at Steven’s sleeve, my nails digging into the fabric as though he was the only thing that kept me tethered to reality.
No… don’t,” I whispered, the words barely making it out my lips. I shuddered, an overriding fear that felt bottomless nestling deep within my bones. “Don’t let him near me, Steven.”
Steven didn’t back down. His unyielding pose, his body was a sturdy barrier between Ivan and me. “You are not going near my wife,” he said with an ominously low tone that never once budged from an implacable decision.
Richard’s face darkened. “Do not make me ask twice.”
Steven didn’t move.
A flicker of something unreadable passed through Ivan’s eyes before he raised his hand, his fingers twitching ever so slightly.
It was a powerful force, unseen yet unmistakable, that surged through the air and struck Steven with brute intensity. In a split second, he was thrown backward, his body soaring through the air until it hit the ground forcefully some feet away from where he had been. The impact sent a sharp gasp through my lips.
“No!!!”
My scream tore through the night, my body catapulting forward, as if to somehow stop it all-the whole night, in one second-already done.
A blur of motion caught my eye as Freja let out an enraged cry. “How dare you touch my brother!” She charged at Ivan, her fury burning as hot as a wildfire.
But Ivan flicked his wrist once more with the same swiftness he sent Steven flying, and Freja was hurled backward, slamming into the ground with a force that was not kind.
A cold chuckle escaped his lips as he turned his attention back to me. “There is no one left to protect you now, daughter,” he whispered, moving closer. “No one to shield you from me.” His voice softened at the word, almost tender. “At last.”
A sickening dread coiled in my stomach as his fingers inched outwards, his touch featherlight as he stroked the side of my face.
I… I was told you were dead,” I stammered out, my voice shaking.
Ivan emitted a dry, mirthless laugh. “A lie,” he said succinctly. “A lie uttered by those that wished to bring about my downfall. But I stand before you now, Ashley. Alive. And I have come for revenge.” His eyes darkened, filling with deep, burning hatred. There are those who plotted against us, who sought to tear our family asunder and make our lives miserable.” He leaned his head slightly, his eyes piercing mine. “But we are stronger than them, Ashley. You and I-we share a power that they fear. Join me, my daughter. Stand by my side, and together, we will be unstoppable.
His words sent a shudder through me, but I stood my ground.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Just let my family and me go. Please.”
His whole expression twisted, fury overwhelming the false warmth he had tried to show.
“They are NOT your family!” he roared, the sheer force of his voice making me flinch. “I am your ONLY real family!”
My eyes burned, but I refused to back down. “They are the only family I know,” I whispered, my voice flat despite the fear clutching at me. “Please. I just want to be with them.”
His lip curled in disgust. “Fine,” he spat. “If you are not with me, then you are against me.
Before I could even move, his fingers closed around my throat, the grip crushing. My breath was severed that instant, and my hands shot up to claw at his hold.
Steven recovered fast, his instincts sharp. In an instant, he shot toward me with some blurring speed, but Liam was there to intercept him. The two bodies clashed in a blur of motion-the fight erupted instantly.
Freya and Freja struggled forward, but Maya and James were in the way, and their battles continued in disarray.
“You… you’re… killing… me…” I panted out, my sight beginning to dim.
Ivan smiled smugly. “That is the plan, Ashley,” he whispered menacingly. “I gave you a chance, and you refused it. That leaves only one option.
My body weakened, my limbs growing heavier as the world around me began to fade.
“Please…” I choked out, my voice barely above a whisper.
Then…
“STEP AWAY FROM HER!!!”
A powerful force exploded through the night, sending Ivan flying backward. His grip on me vanished in an instant. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, my chest rising and falling rapidly.
I blinked, trying to focus. And then I saw her.
“Mabel…?” I breathed, my voice barely audible.
She stepped in front of me, her stance unwavering. “I know you have questions, Ashley,” she said. “I should have told you everything from the start. But if we survive tonight… I promise, I will.”
Ivan rose slowly, his eyes ablaze with anger. “They sent you to stop me again?” he hissed. “No matter. I will kill you first.”
I looked around. Everyone was caught in battle. The real fight had begun.