"Do you really want the truth?" Ashton's voice was calm, steady—too steady.

"You promised you wouldn’t lie to me," I replied, my tone sharp with the bitterness of old wounds. It was a deliberate reminder of the promise he'd already broken.

"Lainey," he said quietly, his gaze locked onto mine, unwavering. "I lied before because I didn’t have a choice. But from now on, I swear—I’ll never lie to you again."

I dropped my eyes, unwilling to meet ...