Chapter 525: What If This Is All A Dream?

"Are you sure... it’s okay for you to sleep on the floor?"

Lying flat on her back, Ashley turned her head. All she saw was Liza lying on her side, smiling at her.

"Of course." Liza let out a light chuckle as she caressed Ashley’s cheek. "If anything, is it all right for you and Primo?"

I’m used to it, Ashley almost said.

Instead, she smiled and nodded before turning her head to the other side. Primo lay on her left, with Tommy beside him.

They had ended up on the floor for two reasons: the bed wasn’t big enough for five people, and they wanted to sleep together as a family for the first time. So, they moved the bed aside and chose to sleep on the floor instead.

Primo answered her with a smile, wrapping his arms around her and throwing one leg over hers.

"Don’t worry about us," Tommy remarked with a laugh. "Your mother and I don’t mind at all! Haha!"

Ashley’s eyes softened, and her smile widened.

"I still can’t believe it." Liza moved closer and wrapped an arm around her daughter. "It feels like a dream."

"Mhm." Ashley pursed her lips, her cheeks turning red. "I can’t believe it either."

Not long ago, she remembered telling Liza that she wished she were her daughter.

Who would have thought?

What a small world.

It made her wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t made one different choice when she first woke up in this lifetime. What if she hadn’t overheard those conversations in her previous life—about the soil, the ambush, and everything else?

But none of that was important anymore.

What mattered was that they were together now. It might have been a little late, but it still wasn’t too late for them to get to know one another.

"You should rest," Liza hummed, still stroking Ashley’s cheek.

Ashley nodded, letting her mother continue humming. She hugged Primo and gently patted his arm.

It was already late, and to be honest, she didn’t know how the day had passed so quickly. All she remembered was that none of them had left one another’s side the entire day unless they needed to use the bathroom.

Tommy kept his eyes on Primo, Ashley, and Liza.

It might have seemed strange for him to sleep beside them, considering his daughter was now an adult. Still, he felt blessed that Ashley wanted to sleep with them, as though she shared the same simple dream they did. After all, they had been robbed of the chance to be parents to their child.

Soon, Ashley and Primo fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

"You should sleep too, dear," Tommy whispered to his wife, who was still staring at them.

Liza’s smile widened as she shifted her gaze from Ashley to her husband. "I will," she said. "In a bit."

Her eyes returned to Ashley, and she caressed her daughter’s cheek with her fingertips.

"I just want to look at her a little longer," she whispered, her eyes filled with longing and affection. "Tom, our daughter is alive."

Tommy slowly sat up and nodded. "She is."

"I can’t believe it," Liza continued under her breath. "I’m so happy... but at the same time, I’m scared. What if this is all a dream?"

What if she fell asleep, only to awaken to a different reality?

Liza’s worries quieted when her husband reached out and took her hand. She lifted her gaze and found reassurance in his eyes.

Tommy didn’t say anything, but somehow, the look in his eyes gave her a sense of security.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"Of course it isn’t a dream," she murmured, releasing a sharp breath. "Thank God."

Silence settled over the room as the couple sat upright, their attention fixed on their daughter and grandson.

Another minute passed before Liza’s soft voice broke the silence.

"Tommy, did you make sure he was dead?" she asked, her gaze remaining on her daughter.

He hummed. "I confirmed it myself."

Liza pursed her lips into a thin line, stopping herself from speaking harshly of the dead. But if she were honest, she wished Marshal had died a slow and painful death—for robbing them of the chance to raise their child and for depriving Ashley of the childhood she deserved.

"He got what he deserved, Liz," Tommy remarked, his voice quiet but firm. He stared at Ashley and let out a deep breath. "It might not have been a slow and painful death... but his final days were filled with terror."

Had Tommy known the truth sooner, he probably would have done exactly what Ashley had done.

Perhaps even more.

But at the end of the day, what mattered was what lay ahead.

"She did what she had to do so she could move forward," he continued in the same quiet voice. "And we’ll move forward together."

Tommy shifted his gaze from his daughter and grandson to his wife. He reached out and stroked Liza’s cheek.

"We can’t reclaim the years we were robbed of as a family, but we can still move forward with her..." His voice trailed off as he gently brushed Primo’s cheek. "...with her son and her family."

The couple held each other’s gaze and nodded.

*

*

*

Lucian sat in the living area, reading the reports about everything that had happened. His wife and son were with Liza and Tommy. Ashley had suggested that he sleep with them as well, but he politely declined and told them he would stay out here.

Silence filled the living area, broken only by the occasional rustling of papers whenever he turned a page.

"You’re still awake, huh?"

Tommy’s voice suddenly echoed through the room.

Lucian lifted his gaze and saw Tommy gripping the railing as he carefully descended the stairs. He was about to rise when his father-in-law gestured for him to remain seated.

"Don’t worry about me," Tommy said as he joined Lucian. "They’re already asleep."

He glanced at the papers on the coffee table before looking back at Lucian. "Busy night, huh?"

"Not really. I’m just passing the time." Lucian shrugged. "Can’t sleep?"

"I slept for a long time in the hospital."

"Is it really safe for you to be here?" Lucian asked. "Aren’t you supposed to be recovering in the hospital?"

Tommy waved a hand dismissively. "Returning to my usual routine will help me recover faster. Besides, I’ve been thinking about this Memphis you mentioned."

"I see." Lucian nodded in understanding.

Marshal had fallen, but he had never truly been Dominion’s greatest concern. He had gotten what he deserved, but his activities had barely intersected with Dominion’s affairs.

Dominion’s real concern was Memphis.

"You mentioned powerful people operating behind the scenes," Lucian said. "Compared to them... we’re all child’s play."

He met Tommy’s gaze.

"Were you talking about the Secret Society?"