Lucian went to Tommy to clear up any misunderstanding—if there was one. After all, Tommy and Liza had been the first people to become friends with both him and Ashley.

What he didn’t expect was to hear such a story from Tommy.

More importantly, he never expected to learn the history between Tommy and Marshal.

In other words, one way or another, Marshal’s bastard had saved him from meeting his end at Tommy’s hands. And somehow, that same child had also saved Tommy from becoming a broken monster.

"How strange," Lucian whispered, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "I’m not sure which part is the strangest."

The fact that Marshal’s child and mistress had conveniently been in the same place where Tommy confronted him was suspicious. Then again, Lucian didn’t want to jump to conclusions without sufficient evidence.

Marshal could’ve simply had his mistress and child there for reasons known only to him.

But if Lucian trusted his instincts, he would say Marshal had known exactly what he was doing.

To cause Tommy’s child’s death, Marshal would’ve needed a foolproof escape plan. That man had always been sneaky. It was almost amusing.

Perhaps Marshal had intentionally brought his child and mistress there to protect himself. Just as Tommy had said, they had known each other for a long time. If Tommy understood Marshal that well, then Marshal surely understood Tommy just as well.

"He probably figured that out," Lucian muttered, knowing Tommy was no fool.

None of them were perfect, but Lucian believed Tommy had seen through Marshal’s plan. The difference was that Tommy wasn’t the same kind of monster as Marshal.

And Tommy wasn’t a child killer.

Marshal would never be the man who turned him into one.

Silence settled inside the car once more.

Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Should I have told him?"

Lucian hadn’t dared mention that Ashley was actually Marshal’s daughter—that the same young woman Tommy adored was the child of his mortal enemy. Possibly the very baby he’d once pointed a gun at.

He kept it to himself not because he feared Tommy would change the way he treated them, but because... it didn’t feel right.

Not now.

Tommy was already overwhelmed with emotion. The last thing Lucian wanted was to create another problem for everyone. After all, what Marshal had done to Tommy—or rather, to Tommy and Liza—was enough to plant the seeds of a lifelong grudge and an endless cycle of revenge.

"Still..." he murmured. "What am I supposed to do with this information?"

If he couldn’t tell Tommy...

Could he tell Ashley?

Knowing his wife, she would undoubtedly blame herself for her father’s actions. Not because she still cared for Marshal, but because she would somehow convince herself she bore part of the responsibility.

Like she always did.

A deep sigh escaped Lucian as he pulled into the neighborhood.

It was already late.

The street was quiet, and most of the houses had long since turned off their lights.

Lucian quietly stepped out of the car and headed toward the house. But just as he reached the gate, he stopped.

There, sitting on the short steps by the front door, was Ashley.

The moment she saw him, her face lit up.

"You’re back?" She quickly got to her feet and hurried over to open the gate for him. "How was it?"

Lucian shrugged with a small smile.

"We had a drink."

"A drink?" She frowned. "Are you allowed to drink?"

"A sip is fine."

Ashley nodded before slipping beside him and looping her arm through his. A bright smile spread across her face.

"So?" she hummed. "Why was he getting tackled earlier?"

They walked into the yard together, Ashley’s attention fixed entirely on him. Lucian studied the cheerful mood she was in—the beautiful smile on her face, the warmth that always seemed to radiate from her.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"He said he got emotional."

"Emotional?" She tilted her head. "Because Primo was leaving?"

"No." He chuckled as he reached for the front door. "Apparently, Aunt Liza told him about the advice she gave you, and he thought I was corrupting you."

Ashley’s cheeks instantly flushed.

"Feeling embarrassed?" Lucian teased, raising a brow as he held the door open for her. "You weren’t embarrassed debating it in the middle of the street."

Her face twitched.

"Lucian, I don’t care if the whole world knows what we’re doing. If anything, I want everyone to know." She stepped inside before glancing back at him. "But Uncle Tommy is different."

"How?"

"Hmm..." She shrugged. "I don’t know. I just feel like... Uncle Tommy is probably the only man—aside from Nolan—whom I truly respect as an elder."

She smiled to herself.

"He’s like a father," she said softly. Then her smile faded. "The kind of father a father should be."

Lucian quietly watched her.

That brief change in her expression told him everything.

Ashley had a father.

He simply had never truly been one.

"So?" Her tone brightened again as she headed into the kitchen to pour him a glass of water. Lucian always woke up thirsty in the middle of the night.

As she filled the glass, she asked, "What did you two talk about? You were gone for quite a while. I started getting worried."

Lucian followed her and stopped by the counter, watching her pour the water.

When he didn’t answer, Ashley turned toward him, curiosity evident in her eyes.

He held her gaze for a long moment before the corners of his lips curled upward.

"Nothing," he said with a shrug. "We just talked."

He tilted his head as she walked over with the glass.

"Things like..." he trailed off before smiling. "How to make my wife happier."

Ashley narrowed her eyes, looking as though she were about to giggle.

"Really?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes coquettishly. "Like what?"

A low chuckle escaped Lucian as her brows wiggled expectantly.

"I’ll show you." He pointed upstairs. "Up there."

Excited, Ashley nearly skipped the rest of the way to him. She took his hand and eagerly led him upstairs, ready to test his "newfound" knowledge.

Lucian smiled and let her lead him.

But beneath that smile lingered a quiet guilt.

Because deep down, he knew Ashley would want to know the truth...

Even if it burdened her with guilt she never deserved to carry.