My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin-Chapter 7: What Is Going On?

"Madam...!"

Gustav’s voice echoed in Ashley’s head as she splashed more water on her face. Then she looked up and rested her hands on the sink again.

Looking at her reflection, she could finally be sure that not only did she look younger, but she had truly gone back in time.

"That night I was bleeding out to death," she muttered. "I heard Gustav’s voice."

Gustav—Lucian’s right-hand man and the only person her husband trusted. And yet, when Lucian was assassinated, that man’s panicked voice was the last thing she heard and saw.

"I’m so stupid," she muttered to herself, clasping her hands into tight fists.

Her eyes stung as she remembered the horrible first marriage. When Ashley tried to escape the first time, Lucian had become the ultimate villain in her eyes. Deep in her heart, she believed he was only keeping her hostage and would eventually kill her.

But even when Marshal launched an attack on Dominion, Lucian didn’t punish her. He did lock her up, though.

She had been blinded by her determination to escape and by countless misunderstandings of the truth. Ashley still didn’t understand why Lucian clung to her as if his life depended on it. Even when she betrayed him, nearly caused the downfall of Dominion, and did everything to make him hate her, he still held on to her.

Ashley’s eyes softened as she thought of the last image she remembered of her husband. Lucian had looked exhausted then, like he was on the brink of death. She knew she was the cause of that. After all, because of her, he had nearly died multiple times.

"If this is true..." she trailed off, looking at herself in the mirror. "...I will not make the same mistakes as before."

One thing was clear to her.

Her relationship with Lucian might have been toxic to both of them, but she realized she was alive because Lucian was alive. If the man died, his enemies would not spare her.

Ashley nodded to herself. "Be smarter this time."

With that, a plan formed in her head. She still wasn’t in the right state of mind to question this strange phenomenon, but that was because this was exactly what she had screamed in her heart as she bled to death that winter.

So whether this was real or this was hell, she didn’t care anymore.

*****

Ashley quickly took a cold shower, hoping it would be enough to confirm she had gone back in time. When the cold water failed to wake her from this supposed dream, she went to the walk-in closet connected to the master bedroom.

"Oh..." she trailed off, wrapped in a thick bathrobe, her eyes scanning the walk-in closet filled with designer items. "Right. When I realized I might not be able to leave this place, I tried to hurt his pockets by splurging."

Her face twitched at the sight of the sparkly dresses and bags she wouldn’t have even dreamed of owning when she was still the daughter of Marshal Di Carpio. She might have been the daughter of a mafia kingpin, but she had been no better than a foot soldier.

"Wait a second." She blinked and tilted her head to the side. "What date is today?"

Scrunching up her nose, Ashley panicked and rushed to check the calendar. When she had first been caught by Lucian, he took her phone away. He only gave her older models with his contact number as the sole entry. So she hadn’t bothered looking for a phone.

Fortunately, there was a digital clock back in the room.

"Holy..." she trailed off as she stood beside the bedside table, the digital clock in her hand. "...it’s been six months since I got married."

In other words, Ashley had already tried to escape countless times.

She winced, cursing herself in her heart.

This was around the time she had completely established herself as the problematic and rebellious wife of the mafia kingpin. It was also around the time her actions had caught the interest of those who wanted Lucian to fall.

"If you’re going to send me back, why not send me back to the beginning?" She clicked her tongue, focusing on the date. "God damn it."

Slamming the clock back onto the bedside table, she hurried to the walk-in closet to change.

*****

Meanwhile, in the dining room, Lucian and his son, Primo, quietly ate breakfast together. Neither of them spoke, the air around them distant.

As they ate, the head butler, Nolan, approached Lucian’s seat.

"Master," he called quietly with a bow.

"Send food to her room," Lucian ordered coldly without taking his eyes off his plate. "If she goes on a hunger strike again, make sure the house doctor is nearby in case she faints."

Nolan let out a deep exhale. "Yes, mas—" He trailed off when he caught sight of a figure from the corner of his eye.

His brows furrowed as he turned his gaze, spotting Ashley skipping into the dining room.

Contrary to what they expected—that she would lock herself in her room again and most likely go on another hunger strike—Ashley wore a huge smile on her face. Her straight hair fell freely down her back, with a small clip pinned to the side of her head. She wore a ruffled dress that made her look youthful.

For the past few months, Ashley had deliberately worn horrible clothing and used terrible makeup choices to turn Lucian off. She wouldn’t even shower until she smells.

The tip of Lucian’s ears twitched as he caught movement from the corner of his eye. A second later, the empty seat on his left was occupied. When he turned, he saw Ashley smiling at him.

"Good morning!" she chirped, beaming at Lucian and Nolan.

Their faces were etched with utter confusion, making her chuckle. She had never seen these expressions before, but they did look completely bewildered. Well, it was justified. Whenever Ashley was dragged back here before, she would lock herself in her room and refuse even water or food.

But she wasn’t about to make herself suffer this time.

Her smile widened into a grin until her eyes squinted into mere slits.

"Thanks for the meal!" she said happily, serving herself food and eating heartily as if she had been starving.

Meanwhile, Nolan, Lucian, and even the boy across from her, Primo, could only stare at her in silent confusion.

They all had the same thought in mind:

What is going on?