Chapter 49. What Changed?

DYLAN

I arrived home and paid the cab driver an extra tip because of the heavy rain. I was in a rush, and that was part of our agreement. I received a text from Ashlene saying she was already at the mansion. You could say it was my excitement that made me agree to the cab driver’s deal, but here I am.

I didn’t bring an umbrella, so I ran from the main gate of the mansion to the front door. It was raining cats and dogs, and by the time I reached the front door, I was drenched. I hated it. My clothes were dripping droplets of rain on the carpet. Mrs. Josephine came and gave me a thick brown towel.

“Thank you, Mrs. Josephine. Is Ashlene awake?”

“She is in your room, sir… and—” She stopped mid-sentence. I could tell there was something more she wanted to say but she changed her mind.

“And what?” I was crumpling my hair with the towel, but I didn’t remove my eyes from her.

“She was crying when she arrived. She spent some time with her mother at the eve