“Taken care of.”
Then his tone shifted—quieter. More deliberate.
“But… it’s best if he’s the one to tell you about it.”
He held her gaze.
“All you need to know right now is that he will never bother you again.”
A chill traced down her spine.
There was something dark—undeniably sinister—in the way Ashcroft said it. But strangely, Maya didn’t feel afraid. No guilt. No pity.
Only a steady, unshakable sense of safety.
Like someone had drawn a line in blood around her—and dared the world to cross it.
A beat. Then his voice dropped lower, just for her.
“You know… D and I, we’ve been through everything. All the wars. The wins. The losses. And through it all, he’s always kept people at arm’s length.”
Maya glanced up at him.
Ashcroft’s smile faded into something quieter. Steadier.
“But
