[s7e23] Ashlee's Big Decision: Part 2 [ EXCLUSIVE ]

Ashlee stood, her knees feeling like they were made of water. In Part 1, it had been about the discovery: the sudden inheritance of her grandmother’s estate, paired with the devastating news that the historic library at its center was structurally unsound. She had two choices: sign the demolition papers to make way for a lucrative, life-changing condo development, or sink every penny of her own savings into a restoration project that had no guarantee of success.

The architect cleared his throat. "The developers need an answer by five. If you sign, the wire transfer hits your account tomorrow morning."

"Ashlee? The specialist is ready for you," the nurse said, her voice soft but firm. [S7E23] Ashlee's Big Decision: Part 2

Ashlee picked up the pen. She thought of the "Big Decision" everyone expected her to make—the logical one. The safe one. Then she thought of the hidden room she’d found in the basement yesterday, filled with journals she hadn't yet finished reading. "I'm not signing," Ashlee said, her voice finally steady. Simon gasped. "Ashlee, you’re throwing it all away."

"You don't have to be the hero, Ash," Simon whispered as she sat down. "That money could pay for Mom’s care for the next decade. Gran would have understood." Ashlee stood, her knees feeling like they were made of water

The fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway hummed at a frequency that seemed to vibrate right through Ashlee’s skull. In her hand, she clutched the manila folder—the "Part 2" to a decision that had kept her awake for forty-eight hours straight.

"No," she said, sliding the folder back across the table. "I'm keeping the only thing that actually belongs to us. We aren't building condos, Simon. We're building a foundation." The architect cleared his throat

She walked into the office, but it wasn't just the architect waiting there. It was her brother, Simon, looking anxious.