Chapter 526 You Are Ashley
Ashley maintained her vigil at Ethan's bedside while he remained unconscious.
Her phone suddenly rang. Seeing Atticus's name on the screen, she answered, "Hello, Atticus."
On the bed, Ethan's brow furrowed slightly at the mention of that name.
"Pearl, are you busy? I need to talk to you," Atticus said.
"I'm not busy. Go ahead," Ashley replied.
"It's not something I can discuss over the phone. Could we meet?"
Ashley glanced at Ethan with concern. "I can't really leave... Ethan's unconscious in the hospital."
"He's unconscious? Where are you now?"
"At Hospital."
"Text me the address. If you can't come to me, I'll come to you."
"Alright."
After ending the call, Ashley tucked the blanket around Ethan and gazed at him adoringly.
She traced the handsome contours of his face with her fingertips. "Ethan," she whispered, "how are you so impossibly handsome? No wonder you're surrounded by beautiful women. Anyone who sees your face would fall under your spell."
Ethan's eyelashes fluttered imperceptibly, and the corners of his mouth curved into the faintest smile.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Ashley opened it to find Atticus standing there.
"Atticus."
"Why are you at the hospital?" he asked with concern.
"It's a long story. Let's talk outside so we don't disturb him."
As soon as they left, Ethan's eyes snapped open, jealousy evident in his gaze. He had actually awakened when Ashley was on the phone, irritated by her familiar tone with Atticus. Now their private conversation only intensified his annoyance.
What were they discussing? Were they planning to run away together?
With this thought, Ethan got out of bed and went to find them.
In the garden below, Ashley and Atticus sat on a bench, initially silent after their long separation.
Finally, they both spoke simultaneously:
"Pearl, are you and Ethan back together?"
"Atticus, you..."
They paused, then laughed at the coincidence.
"You first," Ashley offered.
Atticus nodded. "As you heard, I was wondering about your relationship with Ethan now."
"Atticus, we're together again," she said, though with a hint of melancholy.
Hearing this made Atticus's heart sink, but noting her unhappiness, he replied, "You and Ethan were always meant to be together. It seems like destiny. But why don't you seem happy about it?"
"Atticus, there's something I need to tell you."
"Go on."
"I don't think I'm actually Ashley."
"What? That's impossible!"
Ashley explained, "I always believed I was Ashley, but that so-called sister told me my husband was only after money. I think all that information might have been false."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because," Ashley continued, "they said Ashley had a red birthmark behind her ear, and I don't have one. That's why I suspect I'm not really her."
"That's extraordinary!"
Ashley nodded solemnly, her eyes filled with regret and hidden pain.
"Let me see," Atticus requested.
Ashley turned her head, and Atticus leaned in to examine her ear. "You're right, there's no birthmark, and the skin is smooth—not like it's been surgically removed. Your suspicion makes sense."
Neither realized that from certain angles, their closeness appeared intimate.
Meanwhile, Ethan, who had been searching for Ashley, spotted them from a corridor window. From his perspective, it looked as though they were kissing.
Ethan felt his mind exploding with anger. His face tight with tension, he headed straight for them.
Unaware of Ethan's misunderstanding, Ashley continued her confused analysis. "Atticus, if I'm not Ashley, why do I look exactly like her? Could I be her sister?"
Atticus shook his head. "No, the White family had two sons and one daughter. There definitely weren't identical twin girls. And that woman who claimed to be your sister was clearly a con artist."
Ashley looked at him in surprise. "How do you know?"
"Because your brother came to see me last night."
"My brother?"
Atticus nodded. "Yes. That's why I needed to talk to you urgently. After you were lost at sea, your family searched everywhere for you. They eventually made it to Shell Island, but we had just relocated. By the time they reached the airport, they witnessed me taking you away."
"So your suspicion that you're not Ashley, while reasonable because of the birthmark issue, doesn't hold up. Your brother saw me put you on that plane. That fact is indisputable!"
Ashley stared at him in disbelief, her voice trembling. "So I really am... Ashley?"
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