Chapter 4 - A Guest Who Would Not Leave.
By morning, the story inside the Mitchell family had already changed.
Lauren discovered this before breakfast when three messages arrived from Nathan's cousins asking whether she was feeling better after "the argument."
Not the kick.
Not Ashley's lie.
The argument.
By nine o'clock, a family narrative had formed with astonishing efficiency.
Lauren and Ashley had quarreled.
Both women had been emotional.
Ashley had stumbled.
Lauren had fallen.
Nathan had overreacted.
The security footage had been inconclusive.
Lauren read the messages in silence while Nathan spoke with Owen near the window.
Owen had traced the Grant Development SUV to a garage on the west side, but the vehicle was no longer there.
No one had heard from Maria.
Nathan ended the call and looked at Lauren.
"We need to go home."
Lauren glanced toward her injured leg.
"Our apartment?"
"Yes."
"Not the estate."
"Absolutely not."
Lauren nodded.
She wanted familiar walls around her.
She wanted her own bed, her own kitchen, and a door Ashley could not walk through without permission.
The drive took twenty minutes.
Nathan kept checking the mirrors as though he expected a black SUV to appear behind them.
When they reached the building, the doorman hurried outside.
"Mr. Mitchell, I was trying to reach you."
Nathan stepped from the car.
"What's wrong?"
The doorman looked uncomfortable.
"You have a guest upstairs."
Lauren's stomach tightened.
"Who?"
The answer came before he could speak.
Ashley.
Nathan's expression turned unreadable.
"How did she get upstairs?"
"Mrs. Evelyn Mitchell called the desk and said Miss Grant had permission."
Lauren closed her eyes for a moment.
Nathan handed the car keys to the valet.
"No one enters our apartment again without Lauren or me personally authorizing it."
"Yes, sir."
Nathan helped Lauren through the lobby.
The elevator ride felt longer than usual.
When the doors opened, Ashley was standing outside their apartment.
She had changed clothes.
The glittering gold gown was gone.
Now she wore a pale cashmere coat over a simple cream dress, her blonde hair pulled back loosely, her face almost bare of makeup.
She looked younger.
Smaller.
Deliberately harmless.
Lauren hated how effective the transformation was.
Ashley held a gift bag in one hand.
"I brought something for the baby."
Nathan stopped ten feet away.
"Leave."
Ashley flinched as if struck by the word.
"I just want five minutes."
"No."
"Nathan, please."
Lauren watched Ashley's eyes fill with tears.
They appeared quickly and beautifully.
Lauren wondered how often Ashley had practiced that exact expression.
"I was wrong last night."
Nathan did not move.
"You were violent and then you lied."
Ashley looked down.
"I panicked."
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's true."
Lauren shifted her weight carefully.
"Why did your family's SUV pick up Maria Santos?"
Ashley looked up too slowly.
There it was again.
The tiny delay before the mask returned.
"Who?"
"Maria."
"I don't know anyone named Maria."
Lauren stared at her.
"She served you dinner last night."
"There were a lot of staff."
Nathan stepped closer.
"A Grant Development vehicle picked her up after my mother fired her."
Ashley's eyes moved toward him.
"I don't manage my father's cars."
"Where is she?"
"I don't know."
Nathan took out his phone.
"Then you won't mind if I call your father."
Ashley's hand tightened around the gift bag.
"Don't."
The word came out sharper than she intended.
Nathan paused.
Ashley immediately softened her tone.
"He's dealing with a health issue."
"Your father played golf yesterday."
Ashley said nothing.
Lauren almost smiled despite herself.
Nathan had always been good at noticing lies when he was willing to look for them.
Ashley glanced at Lauren.
"Can I speak to you alone?"
"No," Nathan said.
Lauren surprised both of them.
"Yes."
Nathan turned.
Lauren met his eyes.
"The hallway camera is recording."
Ashley glanced toward the ceiling.
That reflex told Lauren everything she needed to know.
Nathan noticed too.
He did not like the idea, but he stepped several feet away instead of leaving.
Ashley moved closer to Lauren.
Her voice became soft.
"You think you won because he saw that video."
Lauren held her gaze.
"This isn't a competition."
Ashley smiled faintly.
"Everything is a competition when families like ours are involved."
"Our families are not involved."
"That's what Nathan told you?"
Lauren felt a prick of unease.
"Say what you came to say."
Ashley looked at Lauren's belly.
"You should take care of yourself."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's advice."
"From you?"
Ashley leaned slightly closer.
"You have no idea what Nathan gave up when he married you."
Lauren's pulse quickened, but she kept her face calm.
"He gave up you, apparently."
The tears disappeared from Ashley's eyes.
For a second, the woman from beneath the chandelier returned.
Cold.
Proud.
Mean.
"He was supposed to marry me."
Lauren nodded.
"He told me about the plan."
Ashley looked genuinely surprised.
Lauren continued.
"He also told me nothing happened between you."
Ashley's smile returned.
"Did he?"
Lauren's stomach tightened.
Ashley saw it.
That was what she had come for.
Not forgiveness.
Doubt.
"Ask him about Charleston."
Lauren kept her voice steady.
"What about Charleston?"
Ashley stepped back.
"Ask him."
Nathan approached immediately.
"We're done."
Ashley handed the gift bag to Lauren.
Lauren did not take it.
The bag dropped between them.
A small white baby blanket spilled onto the hallway floor.
Embroidered in one corner were two initials.
N.M.
Lauren looked at Nathan.
His face had gone pale.
Ashley watched him with quiet satisfaction.
"You still have the other one?" she asked.
Nathan's voice was low.
"Leave."
Lauren looked from the blanket to her husband.
"Nathan."
He did not look at her.
Ashley walked toward the elevator.
Before the doors closed, she gave Lauren one final glance.
"Charleston."
Then she was gone.
Lauren remained in the hallway.
Nathan bent to pick up the blanket.
She stopped him.
"Don't."
He straightened slowly.
Lauren's voice trembled for the first time that morning.
"Tell me what happened in Charleston."
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