Chapter 145

Ashley POV

After kicking off my high heels, my feet padded quietly toward the sound, not sure if I could trust my instincts or not, given how drained I was at the time. Yet, I felt both glad and anxious as I found my parents in Dad's study at home. Glad, because I was relieved Dad had left the healing center and finally returned home. Anxious, because the expressions on my parents' faces left no room for me to feel emotionally relieved.

Mom's lips pressed into a thin line as she stood leaning against one of the bookshelves that adorned the wall, while Dad sat behind his desk, his hands covering his face. Various folders and piles of paper were scattered across the desk and the surrounding area. The atmosphere, already filled with something I could not put my finger on, grew even more tense as my parents stared at me and said nothing.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Dad lowered his hands from his face and smiled at me. "Nothing, sweety. We are just looking for some documents."

I figured Mom would snort or do something since Dad's lie was so obvious. But as she kept quiet, her lips tightly sealed, my nervousness shifted to anxiety. "Mom?" I prompted.

"There are some... issues at the company," she said with clenched jaws, her sharp eyes glancing at me briefly.

"What kind of issues?" I asked, fear beginning to gnaw at my chest.

They looked at each other. I could see a long unspoken conversation taking place between them, and for a moment I was amazed at how strong their bond was. There had never been a hint of jealousy or doubt between them, but only now did I fully grasp the unwavering trust they had in each other, and how remarkable that was.

Because here I was, questioning a bond I shared that was almost nonexistent with Jayden Ronan Keller, the Pop Idol star and someone who had grown up alongside me - someone I loved, my mate.

"It's no big deal," Dad said abruptly.

"Maybe," Mom added right after that. "But your dad's right, Ash... at least for now."

"Are you guys hiding secrets from me again?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"We are not," Dad said with a warm smile. It hurt because even though the smile was the same one I saw when I was a child, the lines around his eyes and mouth seemed to have deepened since then. My Dad looked better than when I visited him at the healing center over the weekend, but he still looked much weaker than he did on Friday.

"But it's better that you did not know," Mom said.

"What kind of logic is that?" I snapped. "I came home after a day at Red Moon. I had introduced myself as the new CEO even though I had no allies on the other councils, and it had taken me all weekend to learn about our company! How am I supposed to run the company if you won't let me?"

"Please, try to understand." Dad let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "I want you to know about this issue, but if you know, you might get involved in it, and that can't happen."

"Don't be a stubborn child," Mom said sharply. "For the future of the company and the Red Moon pack, you have to trust us."

"Fine," I said after a long moment of pondering whether it was worth arguing further or not. I hated giving in to something that clearly bothered me, but I did not want to upset or stress Dad out.

Dad smiled at me. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"How did the medical tests go?" My heart pounded wildly with both fear and anticipation. "I thought the tests were done and you were already home."

Dad's smile faded, and I caught Mom flinching out of the corner of my eye. Neither of them needed to say anything for me to get the answer.

The test must have been positive. Dad had coronary heart disease.

Any faint hope I might have had that he would recover and come back to the company vanished like smoke.

My mouth opened, then snapped shut again. I had no idea what to say to comfort Dad, who had not only been forced to step down as CEO but had also been diagnosed with an incurable disease. I had no idea what to say to calm Mom, whose face looked devastated.

I had no idea what to say to convince myself that I was not in a nightmare at that exact moment.

"We're leaving for Summer Island tomorrow."

It was Mom who finally broke the tension in Dad's study. I froze as I spun around to face her. She had pulled herself together and was looking at me calmly, her gaze as sharp as ever.

"Are you going?" I asked, bewildered. "But what about Dad-"

"He will come with me," she cut in as if it were obvious.

"But where will you stay?" I frowned. "And what if Dad has another heart attack while you're there?"

Mom snorted. "There's a healing center on Summer Island too. Though it might not be as competent as Beverly, your Dad and I have decided it's better to stay there than here amid the pollution and car fumes."

"We bought the house and land last year," Dad said, letting out a small laugh. "It was supposed to be our retirement gift to ourselves. I never thought we would end up moving there so soon."

My eyebrows shot up. "You are moving?" I blurted out.

"Lower your voice," Mom said harshly as she walked over to Dad and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I did not tell you earlier, sweetheart," Dad said, raising his hand to touch Mom's fingers. "I never planned to say it like this. But I don't think I can stay here much longer, and I really don't want to die here."