The party went on in full swing as Asher felt out of place here.
Even with the gathering being that of riches and alphas all round, he still felt horrible within.
This wasn't the kind of place he was used to anymore. But he couldn't back out now. Skylar was here and he needed to talk to her. He had to make her remember who he was.
It wasn't like he had changed much. He was still the same person he had been from the beginning.
Her ignoring him was too much for him.
They had had children together. Two children that had been murdered by someone he was still searching for.
He was so angry he could not hold himself any longer, but he was determined to find out who had done that.
For now, she was his priority. Getting Skylar back was important for him.
His eyes tracked her from across the room, her elegant form standing out in a sapphire gown that caught the light just right. She was laughing, her head thrown back slightly, talking with someone who seemed as entranced by her as Asher had once been.
Taking a deep breath, Asher pushed through the crowd, nodding politely at a few familiar faces but never stopping. Skylar was his destination, and he wasn't going to let another moment pass without confronting her.
"Skylar," he called out, voice steady despite the racing of his heart. "Can we talk?"
She turned, her expression neutral at first, then slipping into polite confusion as she stared at him. "Do I know you?" Her words were soft but clipped, as though she was inquiring about something she couldn't quite place.
Asher blinked, his pulse quickening. This wasn't what he had expected. "Skylar, it's me. It's Asher."
She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to recall. "Asher?" Her brow furrowed, lips parting slightly before closing into a thin line. "I think you have me confused with someone else."
"No, I don't," he replied, his voice thickening with desperation. "We were married, Skylar. Don't you remember?"
Her reaction was almost too calm, too measured. She stared him straight in the eyes, the cool confidence of someone who wasn't swayed easily. "You're mistaken."
His throat tightened when he heard that.
No. He could not believe that she was treating him like some stranger.
They had shared moments together. This was wrong. She was wrong.
She had to remember.
His mind raced with thoughts of how she could not remember. Was it amnesia or was this an elaborate ruse? Was she pretending?
There were so much things he had to do to make her remember who he was.
At least if she had truly forgotten over the years, she would remember.
"Skylar, this isn't funny," he pressed, lowering his voice so as not to attract attention from the other guests. "I know things ended badly between us, but pretending like you don't even know me? What the hell is this?"
She looked at him with a hardened expression as she leaned back.
"You amuse me, sir," she chuckled. "I don't know you. Maybe you've had a little too much to drink but you have me mistaken for someone else. Perhaps if this is your pickup line to talk to me then you have my attention but you should know that I am not the one you should be trying to talk to. One of these women here would be wooed by this tactics, not me."
"Are you saying I'm drunk?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying."
"I am not. You and I used to be more than lovers. We used to be something more."
She glanced at the champagne in his hand and gave a slight laugh.
"Nice try mister. I'm not interested."
He was cut off as a tall, broad-shouldered man approached, smoothly inserting himself into the conversation. The man's presence was commanding, exuding the kind of quiet authority that immediately put Asher on edge.
"Everything alright here?" the man asked, his voice low and calm but with an underlying sharpness. He wasn't hostile, but there was a protective edge to his tone, like a silent warning to Asher.
Skylar didn't miss a beat. "I'm fine, Leo. Asher here was just leaving, weren't you?" Her eyes bore into him, a challenge in them that Asher hadn't seen in years.
Leo crossed his arms, standing close enough to Skylar that Asher couldn't ignore the possessive air between them. A prickle of jealousy flared in his chest, making it even harder to think straight.
Asher's fists clenched at his sides, his pulse pounding in his ears. "I'm not leaving until we talk."
Leo didn't move, his gaze steady but with a hint of warning. "Is he bothering you, Skylar? I can make sure he stops."
Skylar's eyes flicked to Leo before landing back on Asher, and in that moment, there was a brief, fleeting crack in her composure—a flash of something raw and conflicted, something that reminded Asher of the woman she had once been. But it was gone just as quickly as it came.
"No," she said calmly, "I can handle it."
Leo didn't look convinced, but he nodded. "Alright. Just let me know if you need anything."
Without another word, Leo stepped away, but not without giving Asher a hard glance, the kind that said he wasn't too far off if needed.
Skylar waited until Leo was out of earshot before turning back to Asher, her voice dropping to a low, controlled tone. "Stop bugging me, Asher or whatever your name is. I don't know why you're here, but this isn't the time or the place."
Asher's stomach twisted. Her words cut deep, even though part of him wanted to believe she was lying. "How can you say that? How can you act like none of it happened?"
"Because it didn't," she said coolly, her eyes hardening again. "You're confused, and I suggest you take a step back before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have."