"Ashley, dear?"

Ashley flinched and snapped her eyes back to her computer screen, finding Liza looking at her with quiet curiosity. Liza’s background showed the inside of her workshop, which was the place she had always been.

They just finished a meeting with Shyaan and Mister Ramirez, but they idled in the call as usual.

"Are you okay, dear?" Liza asked gently. "You were zoning out. Do I bore you now?"

"Ah." Ashley let out a small chuckle. "Sorry, Auntie. I’m just thinking about something."

"Haha! I’m only teasing," Liza said warmly. "I know you’ve been working hard lately."

Not really — at least, not in the way people would expect.

"I told your Uncle Tom you already found a building for your office, and he got so excited. He said he’ll clear his schedule for the blessing." Liza set down the flower she had been arranging and leaned back slightly. "He’s so happy about it, I have to scold him for talking about it nonstop."

"Hehe."

"But is everything alright on your end, dear?" she asked. "Don’t rush things just because everyone around you is excited. And don’t let Shyaan pressure you over the party. As long as you’re delivering on your end, there’s no need to feel pushed. Shyaan’s just being... Shyaan."

Ashley chuckled softly. "Auntie Shyaan isn’t pressuring me. If anything, I’m grateful. She’s been sending me people who can help with everything."

Even though Lucian had also offered — and Ashley knew he had people perfectly suited for this kind of work — it still felt nice having others genuinely excited for her.

"Auntie..." Ashley drew a slow breath and rested her arms on the table. "Can I ask you something more personal?"

Liza raised a brow. "What is it, dear?"

"Well..." Ashley rubbed the back of her neck. "You told me before that Uncle Tommy used to be part of a big organization. That he rose through the ranks until he stood at the top of it."

She paused, watching Liza carefully. The older woman simply nodded for her to continue.

"How did Uncle Tommy manage to leave it?" Ashley asked quietly. "I mean... how did he actually get out?"

"Ahh... that." Liza hummed softly before her eyes softened. "He didn’t."

"Huh?"

"What I mean is, Tommy had friends in power. Dangerous people if crossed," Liza explained. "Tommy always says he was lucky — and he was. Because he befriended the right people, and those people helped him step away from that world."

She paused, her smile turning faintly bittersweet.

"But that’s just an illusion, my dear. Stepping away... is just an illusion we built and chose to protect. Tommy may have stopped doing the things that once sustained him, but when the moment comes, he still has to make choices tied to that world."

Ashley’s brows slowly knitted together.

Even though they stayed in touch, this wasn’t something they talked about often. But lately, with everything happening in Dominion, Ashley kept thinking about Liza and Tommy.

If they managed to build a life outside that world... was it really impossible for her, Lucian, and Primo to do the same? 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Build a life outside Dominion?

"Dear," Liza leaned slightly closer to the camera. "Would Dominion — would you and I — have ever crossed paths if you hadn’t gone looking for Tommy?"

Ashley’s lips parted, but no answer came out.

Liza smiled knowingly. "Tommy barely got both of us out that door. And that door is the only thing separating us from that world, my dear. Every now and then, we still hear people knocking on it."

"Oh..." Conflict flickered across Ashley’s face.

Back then, Ashley had only been focused on getting what Dominion needed and preventing the ambush that could’ve left Lucian hovering between life and death. Even knowing Liza and Tommy had long stepped away from the underground, she still approached them.

But now that the couple had become a genuine part of her life, something complicated twisted in her chest.

Had she dragged them back into the very world they had tried to escape?

"Haha! Look at your face," Liza laughed softly. "Don’t feel sorry for us."

"I’m not..." Ashley bit her lip. "I’m just realizing the kind of risk I put you both in."

"Oh, my dear." Liza shook her head warmly. "That decision was ours. We made it fully aware of what it meant."

Her expression softened.

"It’s true we hadn’t opened that door for anyone until you. But opening it for you and Lucian was worth it. Not just because of the plants or the soil — or because we find your marriage too endearing to ignore."

She paused before continuing calmly, "Tommy and I knew that one day, someone might stop knocking altogether and simply force that door open. If that happened, we’d rather already have powerful allies on our side."

"So if we were going to open that door for anyone, we’d rather it be Dominion," she added. "Because you and Lucian are people we can trust."

Everything Liza said was true. Even if it sounded practical, Ashley knew their fondness for her had come first.

Still, hearing it laid out this way eased something heavy in her chest.

"My dear, the title of Madam of Dominion is not a small thing," Liza continued, her tone becoming more serious. "Don’t feel guilty for the choices people willingly make because they care about you."

She nodded gently.

"It’s a title that can make you feel powerful while burdening you with responsibility. One day, you’ll have to fight just to hold everything together. You’ll face impossible choices."

Her gaze stayed steady.

"And eventually, you’ll realize staying completely clean in this world simply isn’t possible." Liza smiled softly. "My point is, don’t feel guilty for wanting to survive. Don’t feel guilty for wanting to protect the people you love. We’re all just trying to live, aren’t we?"

Ashley pressed her lips together as she absorbed every word. After a long moment, she nodded slowly.

"Thank you, Auntie," she said sincerely. "I really mean it."

Liza chuckled and leaned back. "You’re welcome, my dear."