A SECOND CHANCE AT FOREVER Chapter 65: CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

ASHLEY

Of all the ways I’d pictured my Thursday night going, getting trapped in a dimly lit pool room with a blonde who looked like she wanted to gut me wasn’t one of them.

I wasn’t even sure how it happened. One second, I was walking back from the bar, drink in hand, and the next, I was in the secluded space, backed against a sleek marble countertop while she stood between me and the exit.

Blocking my way.

Watching me like I’d just stolen her most prized possession.

I squared my shoulders, keeping my expression neutral despite the unease crawling up my spine. Stay calm. “I’m sorry, do I know you?” My tone was polite, but firm. I took a slight step back, careful not to look rattle. .

The woman didn’t immediately respond. She just tilted her head, cool blue eyes scanning me with the kind of sharp intensity that made my stomach tighten.

She looked oddly familiar but I couldn't place where I've seen her before. She was stunning—undeniably so. The type of woman who belonged on the cover of Forbes or Vogue, effortlessly commanding a room with her presence alone. 

With her golden hair, impossibly smooth skin, and an elegance that seemed inherited rather than learned, she looked like the human embodiment of old money.

But her beauty was laced with something colder. Harder.

There was no warmth in her expression. No attempt at pleasantries. Just a razor-sharp focus that felt intentional.

Like a warning.

Like a threat.

Finally, she spoke.

"I'm Atlas Robin," she said smoothly, her voice carrying the kind of self-assurance that only came with power. "CEO of Robin Enterprise."

Robin Enterprise.

The name clicked instantly. One of the most powerful firms in the country. Ruthless in business. Known for acquisitions that left their competitors gasping for air.

I schooled my features, ignoring the unease curling in my gut.

“Oh.” I gave a small nod, my tone steady. “Ashley Carrington.”

Her lips curled, but the expression didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"I know."

The certainty in her voice sent another prickle of unease down my spine.

I hesitated before adding, “Can I… help you with something?”

I kept my voice light, but something in her expression flickered.

Like I’d just said something very stupid.

Her gaze never wavered as she took a slow, deliberate step forward.

“ I wanted a good look at you,” she murmured.

Her voice was soft, almost purring, but the words coiled around my spine like a warning.

"Since Kyle seems to not want to let go of you... ever."

The air between us shifted.

My breath caught, heart slamming against my ribs as everything—her expression, her presence, that look in her eyes—came crashing into place all at once.

A memory slammed into me with the force of a wrecking ball.

Two years ago.

Kyle’s office.

This woman.

I had met her before.

She was the one.

The one he cheated on me with.

My stomach plummeted, the realization hitting like a punch to the gut.

The dim lighting, the sleek marble floors beneath me, the faint scent of chlorine from the pool just beyond the glass walls—it all faded into the background.

All I could see was her.

Her in Kyle’s office that day, cool and composed, as if she hadn’t just wrecked everything I thought I had.

As if she hadn't mattered at all.

And now, here she was.

Standing in front of me again.

I gripped the edge of the counter behind me, fingers pressing into the cold stone to keep my expression unreadable, to steady the whirlwind of emotions threatening to crack through the surface.

Atlas’s smile deepened, but there was a glint of something sharp in her cerulean eyes—something dark and knowing.

“I have to admit,” she drawled, her tone thick with amusement, “I’m impressed. Most women would’ve tucked their tails and stayed gone after what happened. But you?” She let out a soft, mocking laugh. “You came back.”

I kept my expression impassive even as my fingers curled tighter against the edge of the marble counter behind me.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your concern.”

“Oh, but it is, sweetheart.” Her voice dripped with honeyed condescension. “See, I know Kyle. I know how he operates. You must’ve thought you were different. Special.” She let the word roll off her tongue like a joke. “But let’s be real—you weren’t enough for him then, and you won’t be now.”

My jaw tightened, but I refused to give her the reaction she wanted.

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” I said evenly. “After all, he actually gave a damn about me.”

Atlas’s eyes flashed with something unreadable, but she masked it quickly.

“Right,” she scoffed. “That’s why he fucked me in his office, wasn’t it?”

The words hit like a sucker punch, a sharp, visceral pain knifing through my chest. But I swallowed it down, refusing to let her see the crack in my armor. Instead, I let my lips curl into a slow, assessing smile.

“And yet,” I murmured, “he still didn’t keep you.”

Atlas’s nostrils flared ever so slightly.

I stepped forward, dropping my voice. “Tell me, Atlas—was it worth it? Throwing yourself at a man who didn’t even want you beyond a quick fuck?” I tilted my head, feigning curiosity. “Or did you actually think it meant something?”

For the briefest moment, something flickered in her expression—something raw. But then she let out a cold chuckle, shaking her head.

“Oh, sweetheart.” She sighed dramatically, shaking her head. “You’re still so naive.”

I didn’t flinch.

“He likes you, sure,” she continued, stepping closer, circling me like a predator. “But Kyle isn’t the kind of man who settles. And from what I remember, you could never keep up with him.” Her gaze flickered over me, full of mock pity. “Still soft. Still innocent. Tell me—does he still have to hold back with you?”

My heartbeat thundered against my ribs, but I refused to take the bait.

Atlas smile sharpened. “That’s how it always starts. First, he gets distracted. Then, he stops calling as much. Then, one day, you wake up and realize—” she let out a soft, mocking laugh “—you were just another good time for him. A phase.”

I forced a bored sigh. “You’d think you of all people would know how ridiculous that sounds.”

Atlas smirked. “Please. I was there after you left, Ashley. I know exactly what kind of man he is. She took another slow step forward, her voice dropping. “Tell me, does he still whisper sweet things to you in bed? Make you feel like you’re the only one?” She chuckled. “He’s good at that. But here’s the thing—Kyle likes to fuck. He doesn’t need emotions to do it.”

I lifted a brow. “You sound bitter.”

She laughed, low and slow. “Hardly. I had my fun. I knew what it was. You were the fool who thought he loved you,well can't blame you..you were married” She tilted her head. “So tell me, when he had you again, did it feel like he was making love to you?” She tsked. “Or did it feel like he was just reliving a memory?”

A sharp pulse of anger flickered in my chest.

Atlas caught it—of course she did—and her smirk widened.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she purred, leaning in like she had a secret. “He always gets bored.” Her breath was warm against my ear. “And when he does, guess who he’ll come running back to?”

Anger burned low in my stomach, but I forced a smirk of my own.

“Oh, Atlas.” I sighed, shaking my head. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

She blinked.

“Kyle never wanted you,” I continued, my voice syrup-sweet. “You were just another transaction. A business deal. He fucked you because it was convenient—not because he wanted you.” I let the words sink in, watching her expression darken. “And deep down, you know that.”

Atlas’s nails dug into the stem of her champagne flute, her grip so tight I half expected the glass to shatter between her fingers.

Bingo.

“You think you’re so clever,” she sneered, her voice low and dangerous. “But let’s get one thing straight.” She stepped closer, the sharp scent of her perfume cloying in the air between us. “Kyle might play nice with you, but sooner or later, he’ll get bored. And when he does, I’ll be there. Again.”

I didn’t so much as blink. “If he ever wanted you again, you wouldn’t be standing here trying so hard to convince me.”

Her lips parted, fury flashing through her icy blue eyes—

Then—

Pain exploded between my shoulders as she shoved me.

Hard.

The world tilted violently. My stomach lurched.

Gasps rang out around us  but it was too late.

I was already falling.

A split second of weightlessness—then the shocking bite of cold water as I hit the pool with a loud splash.

The water swallowed me whole, the icy shock stealing the breath straight from my lungs. My limbs seized, my pulse hammering in my ears as I struggled to process what had just happened.

She pushed me.

Atlas fucking pushed me.

Above, laughter rang out—high-pitched, cruel, blending with the muffled distortion of voices from the crowd.

I tried to move. My dress clung to me like a second skin, heavy with water, pulling me down. My hair fanned out around me, tendrils floating as I sank deeper.

My vision blurred. My heart pounded.

I need to get up.

I kicked, arms flailing as I fought against the water’s grip, but panic clawed at my chest, turning my limbs useless.

Then, through the watery haze, I saw her standing at the edge.

Atlas.

Smirking. Victorious.

And as my face dipped beneath the surface, a single, terrifying thought gripped me.

I’m going to die.