Wouldn't she simply become another version of the very people who had once cast her aside? The thought settled heavily in her chest, grounding her more than anything else.
Whatever she felt, however complicated it was, she refused to let it turn her into someone she despised.
Besides, Ashley wasn't blind to it; she could sense that Ophelia saw her as a threat, perhaps even a rival to be challenged, someone she needed to measure herself against to secure her place in this family.
But as long as it didn't cross a line… perhaps there was room for both of them to exist here. Not everything had to end in conflict. Not everything had to turn into a battle where one had to be cast out for the other to remain.
Still, that fragile possibility came with a condition, one Ashley held onto firmly. As long as Ophelia didn't go too far. As long as she didn't cross into her bottom line and do something dark and cruel… something like what Maddison had done.
