Chapter 98

ASHER

I left my mother and the chaos I’d created behind, acting as if nothing had happened. I hurried down the steps, eager to escape the building and get to my car, only to remember that my keys were still in my bedroom. The strange thing about my impulsive thoughts was that instead of going back to my room, I decided to just grab the keys by the door.

I picked up Zach’s keys, leaving the other two behind, and headed out, ready to drive either of his cars away from the property and toward Sanctum. I even found myself imagining his reaction, knowing he’d be furious. But at that moment, I didn’t care.

In fact, I was kind of looking forward to it. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d taken his car without asking, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. But my mother had other plans, didn’t she?

I’d hoped she might have cleaned up Callum’s office, covered up my mess, but instead, she slid into the car next to me. She buckled her seatbelt and ordered, “Drive… Do it!”

I’d pushed her buttons and gotten a reaction. But my mother’s reactions were always different from what you’d expect, and this time was no different. I did as she asked, speeding down the driveway and letting the car’s tires spin as I went.

The gates were already open, waiting for me to leave. And so I did, heading down the private road toward the main road. All the while, she was entering an unknown destination into the car’s GPS.

The car announced that we’d arrive in just over two hours.

“Where the hell are we going?” I asked her.

“The past… The present, just drive,” she replied.

I didn’t question her, didn’t try to argue. I just enjoyed the drive in my dad’s car. I weaved in and out of traffic, passing slower drivers.

My speedometer crept higher and higher, but my mother didn’t try to stop me. Then we exited the highway, turning onto a few smaller roads until we reached a small town with large, impressive houses.

I noticed my mother tense up, which made me instantly protective. She directed me to pull into a driveway in front of a large, somewhat run-down house.

“Mom?” I asked, turning to see her shaking silently as she stared at the house’s front door.

The drive had helped me release my anger, leaving me calm and in control. Now I could see my mother clearly, and I’d never seen her so anxious before.

I turned off the car’s engine and turned to her, but she was already getting out of the car and walking toward the house. I hurried to catch up with her, locking the car behind me as she reached the front door.

She entered her birthday into the keypad and the door opened. “Come, Asher. It’s time you knew the truth,” she said, her expression stern.

We entered the house, which was surprisingly clean and full of girls of all ages. They all looked at us from the end of the hallway with curious expressions.

It reminded me of a sorority house, but on a smaller scale, and I was confused.

“Violet,” a tall blonde girl, probably around my age, approached us.

She hugged my mother tightly, and my mother hugged her back just as fiercely. It was like watching her embrace one of my siblings, her eyes closed and her chest rising with a deep breath.

I could only watch as I realized that my mother cared deeply for this girl.

“Mom?” I asked again.

“Yes. I’m sorry, Asher, this is my halfway house. One of them, anyway. This is where the girls your father and I rescue come to live while they get back on their feet. It’s a safe place for them to get help with their mental and physical health, to get an education and find jobs. Let me show you around. I think you might appreciate what I’ve done with this place.”

I followed her and the girl through the house, watching as she took my mother’s hand and led her deeper into the building. We made our way to the kitchen, where a group of girls were settling down for dinner.

A long table, reminiscent of the one at my parents’ house, occupied half the room, laden with delicious-smelling food that they must have prepared. We joined them for a bit, engaging in light conversation.

My mom inquired about their well-being, their studies, or their jobs, and they responded with stories that she listened to with genuine interest. Once she was done, she politely excused us and guided us through the house.

Every door was open, except for one. It appeared that my mom held the key to the one locked room. I obediently trailed behind her as she unlocked the office, flipping the light switch before pausing at the entrance.

“Mama, what’s in there?” I asked her.

“I haven’t been in here for a while; it’s usually your father who uses this room,” she replied, her gaze shifting from the desk to the floor and then to the chair.

“We don’t have to go in,” I suggested.

“No, I’ve never shied away from my past, sweetheart. I won’t start now. Come, I have a lot to show you,” she said. Her smile was warm as she gently tapped my cheek, acknowledging my protective instinct.

Our eyes locked for a moment, a silent apology passing between us. Then she moved away, stepping into the room and heading toward the desk.

She took a seat in front of the four monitors. As I walked in, I noticed her using her handprint to unlock the computer, a system similar to Senses.

“What’s all this?” I asked, my eyes wide at the numerous girls’ profiles loading on three of the screens.

“This is our database, son. It’s filled with information on trafficked girls. There are so many, and we’ve only managed to help a fraction of them, but we’re making progress. We’re planning to rescue over a hundred more once we take down Sanctum.”

Suddenly, everything clicked—the girls, this house. “All these girls were trafficked?”

“Yes, sweetheart. Every single one of them.”

“And you and Dad have been helping them?”

“With the help of the police. I had all this money, all these properties. I needed to put them to good use, and this is it. We have operations in London, Paris, Tokyo—and many more places. We have teams everywhere, following leads, dismantling every trafficking ring we find. We infiltrate them and take them down from the inside, just like we’re doing with Sanctum. That’s why we sent Maddison back in; we needed her. Her connections are invaluable, especially given the limited time we have…”

“But Mama,” I sighed, throwing my hands up in frustration at the thought of Maddison being in danger.

“I know. Your feelings for her complicate things, but she’s our best shot at taking down Sanctum within the week.”

I clenched my jaw, hating the situation. Hating the fact that my mother had been running this covert operation that I was only finding out about now. I would have chosen this job over any other.

I would have thrown myself into this mission, dedicating every ounce of my energy to shutting down these trafficking rings, if only I had been given the opportunity. But all I was offered were the clubs, the hotels, and Sense.

Wait.

~Sense.~

“Is Sense involved in this?”

“Absolutely. A few of them approached me when I put the properties up for sale. It took some convincing, especially with this house. But I realized that the painful memories associated with this house would fade if I could give even one girl a chance at a new life. So, I decided to keep everything and use it for a greater purpose.”

“This house… It belonged to?”

“~Him?~ Yes, Asher. This is where my life in America started, but now it’s a sanctuary for those escaping the life I once led.”

I nodded, not out of agreement or satisfaction, but because I was trying to process this information, filled with revulsion. My mother was abused. Was it in this room…or the kitchen we were just in?

How can she bear to step foot in here, knowing what happened?

“The past only has power over you if you let it, Asher,” she said.

I shuddered because I knew she was right.