C35 Access Denied

The request came through three different channels.

Formal.

Personal.

And unofficial.

All from Liam Marsh.

Ashley read every version.

And deleted every one.

She didn’t hesitate.

Didn’t reconsider.

Didn’t feel the old reflex—the one that once made her run toward him, hoping for approval, for warmth, for something that felt like family.

That girl was gone