My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin

Chapter 371: Forever and Ever

Ashley and Lucian laughed as they lay flat on the grass in one of the park’s open green spaces.

They stared up at the night sky, talking about pieces of the past they could now look back on with laughter and fondness.

"And then you went and fought those kids." Ashley slid her gaze toward him. "Lucian, you were terrifying back then. Do you remember biting one of the older boys on the leg?"

A smile tugged at his lips as the memory replayed in his mind as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.

"He swung his arm," Lucian recalled. "And I remember feeling like my entire body was made of paper."

"Hahaha!" Ashley burst into laughter. "You did! You were so skinny back then. I feel like I could’ve carried you myself!"

"Carried me?" His brows furrowed as he looked at her. "With how short you were?"

She frowned. "Hey, I’m not short!"

Then she pursed her lips as memories of her childhood returned.

Ashley had always been smaller than everyone her age growing up. Perhaps it was the lack of nutrition. She didn’t start growing properly until her teenage years.

"I was strong," she muttered. "Size doesn’t matter."

Lucian smiled quietly and looked away. That smile remained on his face.

Ashley chuckled softly before returning her gaze to the stars above.

A gentle breeze drifted through the amusement park, carrying warmth and distant music with it.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

After so much reminiscing, the silence felt comfortable.

Then...

"I looked for you." His quiet voice broke the stillness. "When you disappeared that day."

Ashley pressed her lips together.

A trace of bitterness crossed her face as she stared at the night sky, her hands resting on her stomach.

Beside her, Lucian remained focused on the stars.

He really had searched for her.

In fact, while searching for her, he met the late Madam of Dominion.

Because he wanted to find Ashley, he became desperate to survive. He grabbed every opportunity placed before him.

After all, he had learned one thing while searching for her.

Without money, power, influence, or connections, finding someone was nearly impossible. Especially when all he knew about her was her face, their shared memories, and the name she had given him.

"I..." Ashley trailed off. Her eyes found the brightest star in the sky. "I didn’t."

Silence followed her voice before it was heard again.

"Sorry."

Unlike Lucian, she never searched for him. Not because she didn’t want to. But because she knew she couldn’t.

Not unless Marshal died.

Not unless she escaped completely.

When she was dragged back home that day, most of the details became a blur.

All she remembered was Marshal standing there with a wooden stick in one hand and a bandage wrapped around the other.

The next thing she knew, she was in a clinic with Scott.

And like always, Scott had forced another lesson on her.

Forget everything about your time on the streets.

Forget those children.

Forget that life.

Otherwise, they would pay the price.

Classic Di Carpio.

Whenever Ashley started seeing her own worth—or simply stopped behaving the way they wanted—they always found a way to drag her back down.

Just as they had later forced her into marriage.

Her entire life had been trapped inside that cycle.

"Did you think you’d find me?" His question pulled her from her thoughts.

Ashley turned and saw Lucian was already looking at her.

"Did the thought cross your mind even once?" he asked.

He never expected her to search for him.

After all, she had always been the one finding him.

Bringing him back.

Taking care of him.

That was why he promised himself that he would always stay by her side. So she would never have to worry.

So he never expected her to search for him.

That was his job.

Even so...

"If you had the chance," he continued softly, "would you have wanted to see me again?"

Ashley’s eyes softened immediately.

"Without a doubt." The answer came without hesitation. "You have no idea."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

She remembered that night in her previous life.

The night she went to the park before she was stabbed.

She hadn’t been there by coincidence. She had been waiting for someone. Someone she had hired to look for a person.

Who would’ve thought the person she had been searching for was the same man she spent years trying to escape?

The memory settled heavily in her chest.

"Then that’s enough for me," he said.

Ashley studied his profile as he returned his attention to the stars.

The faint smile on his face remained. Looking at him eased the heaviness in her heart. She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently.

When he looked back at her, she whispered;

"Thank you." Another tear rolled across the bridge of her nose. "Not just for tonight."

She swallowed hard, trying not to cry again.

Perhaps tonight was the easiest she had ever cried.

Even when Lucian had fallen unconscious, she only cried for one night before forcing herself to hold everything together.

When he woke up, she cried only a little.

But tonight felt different.

It was as if every dam she had built over the years had finally broken. The tears came freely. She wasn’t even sad anymore. They simply wouldn’t stop.

"But thank you for everything," she continued softly.

"For being patient with me."

"For keeping your promise."

"For being the person I needed when I needed someone the most."

"And for surviving."

There was still so much she wanted to thank him for.

And just as many things she wanted to apologize for.

Because before her rebirth, she had hurt him deeply too.

Even if they both shared responsibility for the failure of their first marriage, she had been the first to close the door.

She refused to communicate. Refused to understand him. Refused to let him in.

Lucian reached out and brushed away her tears with his thumb.

"No," he whispered.

His gaze slowly traced every detail of her face. "Thank you."

He smiled. "For existing."

Ashley felt a lump form in her throat.

Her vision blurred. More tears spilled down her cheeks. She smiled and cried at the same time, desperately holding back a sob.

It was the first time in her life that someone had thanked her simply for existing.

And it felt wonderful.

No.

It felt far beyond what words could describe, like an effective patch on her lifelong wound.

Ashley sniffled and let him wipe her tears away. Then she smiled brightly at him.

"Let’s always stay together, Lucian."

His smile widened. "Forever?"

"Mhm." She scooted closer until her head rested against his shoulder. "Forever."