JUNE'S POV
"Ashley?" Miguel exclaimed in disbelief as our eyes locked on her. I remembered her as the girl I accidentally spilled coffee on, a memory that still made me cringe.
"Yes, Miguel. It's me. Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" She teased with a light chuckle, placing her gift on the table.
"It's good to see you too," she added, pulling him into a tight embrace despite his grunts of disapproval as she casually ignored my presence.
I tried to step back, but Miguel held onto my hand firmly, attempting to push Ashley away.
"What do you want?" Miguel gritted through his teeth, clearly unhappy to see her. I stood by silently, unsure of what to say, observing Miguel struggling to stand with his walking stick. I steadied him with my hand and he flashed me a smile that melted my heart.
"That's not how you greet your childhood best friend and future bride," Ashley teased mischievously, placing her hand on his shoulder. Miguel shrugged it off, not attempting to hide his disgust and pulled me closer to him, using his walking stick for support. I scoffed at the audacity she had to address herself as Miguel's future bride.
Ashley finally noticed me, her expression turning disapproving. With disdain in her voice, she asked, "Who is this?"
"This is my fiancée," Miguel stated firmly, casting a proud glance my way. He gave me a wink which caused me to blush, feeling a sense of pride as he addressed me as his fiancée. Ashley gasped in disbelief, then narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing my appearance.
"Surely, you can't be serious."
"I am!"
"You look familiar..." she trailed off as she drummed her index finger against her chin, trying to recollect where she had seen me. I pursed my lips and kept mute.
"You are the wretch that spilled coffee on me!" She gasped with disgust, her eyes narrowing with recognition.
Miguel, trying to defend me, challenged her, "Say one more negative word about her, I dare you!" Their eyes locked in a silent battle, tension thick in the air. I felt nervous and uncomfortable in the situation, hence eliciting a series of perspiration from me.
She scoffed indignantly and flipped her hair haughtily.
"Now answer me, what the hell are you doing here?" Miguel's voice remained calm but firm, sending a chill down my spine. His tone was unusually calm which made it sound a little bit unnerving.
"You have just been involved in an accident, I came to see how you were doing," she stated, attempting a soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Miguel's face hardened in disbelief, irritation evident in his expression.
"Ashley?" Miguel's voice echoed through the room in a low whisper, his tone intimidating, causing a shiver to run down my back.
"Yes Miguel?" Ashley replied sweetly, a smile masking her true intentions.
"I will ask this once again, who invited you here?" Miguel's voice grew sterner, a warning laced within his words. I observed in silence, the tension thickening, it was almost possible to cut through it with a knife.
"Your mother, Miguel! Jeez, take a break!" Ashley retorted with an eye roll, making herself at home on the couch, unfazed by Miguel's disapproval.
"Leave!" Miguel's command was clear, but Ashley seemed unperturbed. His look of disgust didn't escape her as she rummaged in her purse, pulling out a mirror.
"What's going on here?" Lolia's voice interrupted as she entered the room, taking in the scene with a single glance, her expression a mix of surprise. "Oh," she simply stated unamused as her gaze fell upon Ashley.
"Ashley Royale!" Lolia whispered  out venomously for only my hearing, disdain evident in her expression.
"Where's Lily?" I asked urgently, my heart racing with worry as she was the last one seen with my daughter.
"She's asleep, no need to fret," she reassured me with a gentle smile, and I nodded gratefully. Lolia's eyes then darted to Ashley, a hidden bitterness evident in her gaze.
"What are you doing here, Ashley?" Lolia demanded, causing Ashley to sharply turn her head towards her.
"Nice to see you too, Lolia!" Ashley greeted with a false smile, refusing to budge.
"That doesn't answer my question!" Lolia replied through clenched teeth. It was clear these two had unresolved issues. I watched intently, curious about the unfolding drama.
Ashley chuckled deviously, "Seems like someone's still stuck in high school drama. It's been years, Lolia, move on!"
"I trusted you as my best friend, and you betrayed me by having an affair with my boyfriend back then!" Lolia's voice shook with anger.
"Well, maybe I did you a favor, didn't I? You ended up with Rich Joe instead of sloppy Fabian!" Ashley retorted arrogantly, causing a wave of shame to wash over me for some reason. I wished this was all just a bad dream.
"What's all the fuss about?" Bryan questioned, stepping into the room with Kathlyn following closely behind.
"Hello, Kathlyn! Lovely to see you!" Ashley exclaimed with surprising enthusiasm, shocking us all in the process.
"Oh, Ashley dear, you look absolutely stunning! It's wonderful to see you," Kathlyn complimented, casting a disappointed glance in my direction. I swallowed my hurt and braced my shoulder for what was to come next.
"Why did you invite her here, mother?" Miguel asked and rubbed his temple, an action I've noticed he did whenever a headache or a migraine was brewing.
"You should rest Miguel, you're still healing?" I whispered into his ear but he ignored it.
"Don't be so rude Miguel, Ashley is like family," Kathlyn persisted.
"Miguel, tell her to leave!" Lolia demanded.
"Can we give Miguel a break?" Bryan suggested.
"Let's catch up, like old times Miguel," Ashley commented.
In that intense moment, it felt like a chorus of voices were calling out Miguel's name all at once. I observed as he pressed his head into his hands, his eyes squeezed shut in concentration.
"Enough!" Miguel's voice pierced through the room, sending a shiver down my spine.
"June is my choice, now and always. Understand that," Miguel declared, fixing his gaze on his mother with unwavering determination. His words ignited a spark of hope in my chest, but the reality of our contract loomed over me.
"Oh, spare us! Choosing June over your lifelong friend, Ashley?" Kathlyn's disdainful tone cut through the tension, her accusing eyes briefly landing on me.
"Mother, please stop!" Bryan intervened, stepping towards his mother as she pointed fingers in my direction. I stared at the gleaming floor, bewildered by her harshness.
Was loving Miguel truly worth this turmoil? I questioned myself, grappling with conflicting emotions. Suddenly, Miguel drew me closer, a sharp intake of breath escaping me. In his intense gaze, it felt like only the two of us existed in that moment. And in that instant, I knew - I was undeniably, deeply in love with him, a love so profound it caused my heart to ache.
"I've made my choice," Miguel declared firmly, his smile directed at me, unwavering in his resolve as he faced his mother and Ashley.
"Leave, Ashley Royale!" Lolia's words dripped with hostility.
"You're making a grave mistake, Miguel," Ashley's warning tone grew as she advanced towards us. Miguel's gaze remained resolute, ready to face whatever consequences lay ahead.
"Bring it on, Ashley," he taunted, locking eyes with her.
"You've got it," she shot back, a sly grin spreading across her face. With a swift movement, she delved into her purse, retrieving her phone. Her gaze remained fixed on Miguel, a glint of mischief dancing in her eyes.
"Hey, dad!" she greeted the person on the other end, presumably her father. Miguel's jaw tensed, a flicker of concern crossing his face.
"I'm great. Remember when you said I could have anything for my birthday? Well, I've made my choice," Ashley spoke into the phone, her voice laced with anticipation, holding us all in suspense. The sound of the clock ticking and the faucet dripping seemed to echo louder in the room.
Glancing at Bryan, I noticed his relaxed stance against the wall, a familiar gesture like Miguel's. Lolia's bored sigh and Kathlyn's focused gaze added to the tense atmosphere. For some reason, my breathing became erratic as I awaited what was going to happen next.
"It's not a trip to the Bahamas, dad. It's something much bigger," Ashley revealed, a wicked smile playing on her lips.
All eyes turned to Ashley, waiting for her next move. With a bold declaration, she dropped the bombshell,
"I want all accounts the Royale family have with the Lyons' company closed, I want all investment with the business withdrawn and every partnership ended."
"No!" Kathlyn's exclamation filled the room with disbelief.
"Yes, I am sure about this Father!" She paused into the receiver and furrowed her brows as she listened intently.
"Thank you dad," Ashley appreciated and ended the call. She cast Miguel a wicked smirk and look that seemed to say, 'I told you so.'
"Goodbye, Miguel Lyon. Let's see how the Lyon company bounces back from this," she announced, trotting along to make her exit.
"How petty can you be, Ashley?" Lolia queried, her voice laced with tension as she rose to her feet, her eyes fixed on Ashley.
"Says the girl who still keeps a grudge after a decade," Ashley retorted with a hint of defiance, not bothering to turn back to face Lolia, her confidence unwavering.
"We are fucked!" Bryan groaned, his frustration evident as he delivered a slight punch to the wall, the sound echoing in the room.
"Stop her, Miguel!" Kathlyn's voice rose in urgency as she cried out to her son, her concern palpable as she rushed to his side, trying to avert a looming crisis.
"The Lyons and the Royales have been allies for generations. Son, you can't let this unravel now! Act quickly, don't let her walk away! The repercussions could be catastrophic for us. This could be the biggest scandal of the century. Do you know you’re making the biggest financial mistake of your career before it even starts?" Kathlyn implored, her words laden with the weight of potential scandal and financial ruin. Her gaze flickered from Ashley to Miguel, worry and panic evident in her expression. Her forehead creased with desperation as she tried to reason with Miguel.
As I observed Ashley's deliberate slow pace, almost daring Miguel to intervene, the tension in the room thickened, each moment pregnant with consequences.
"Miguel! Are you seriously willing to jeopardize everything over this insignificant matter?" Kathlyn's voice quivered with a mix of disbelief and desperation, her eyes beseeching me for answers.
"Do you realize the magnitude of what's happening?" Kathlyn's gaze bore into mine as she advanced, her anger palpable.
"I did nothing wrong, Kathlyn," I asserted firmly, grappling with the gravity of the situation. Was Miguel truly ready to stake it all for me, or was this a misstep he would soon regret?
"June, please intervene! He values your opinion. Convince him before it's too late," Kathlyn implored, her plea echoing the urgency of the moment, leaving me torn between loyalty and reason. I gazed up at Miguel and wonder why he was willing to take a huge risk in my account, albeit me saving his life. It made me think- maybe, just maybe, he was also in love with me.
I tried to shake off that thought, not wanting to overthink and thereby hurt myself in the process. It was better to focus on the present situation and the facts at hand. Miguel didn’t want to marry Ashley and only sought my assistance to help him evade his mother’s bickers.
"Miguel, if I leave through this door, there's no stopping me," Ashley's voice cut through the tense silence, her words hanging in the air like a looming threat that demanded attention. The weight of her declaration settled upon us, drawing all eyes towards her figure, a silhouette of defiance in the dimly lit room.
In unison, our gazes swiveled towards Miguel, the pivotal figure in this unfolding drama. With his eyes shut in contemplation, a furrow etched on his brow, he seemed lost in a battle of conflicting emotions. The room held its breath, waiting for his response, for the decision that would shape the course of events.
A heavy sigh escaped Miguel as he finally relented, his eyes flickering open to meet Ashley's unwavering gaze. The tension crackled in the air, the unspoken words hanging between them like a fragile thread on the verge of snapping.
"Ashley, wait!"