Ash returned home to find signs that Nick had been comfortably using the family kitchen, cooking curry and using Paddy Swann’s utensils. Overwhelmed by rage at his intrusion and history of manipulation, Ash consciously chose to conceal her feelings to keep Nick from bolting before she could gather proof.

When Nick entered, Ash complimented the cooking. Nick explained he was making a railway curry and had prepared a separate vegan version for Ash. He then delivered a rehearsed-sounding speech acknowledging the difficulty of his presence, promising not to overstep, and claiming Nina was “safe” with him, appearing emotional.

Ash pivoted to test him about the pink soap gift, saying she wanted to buy more but could not find the shop online. Nick visibly tensed, then claimed he had bought the soaps about four years earlier for a former girlfriend from a Mayfair shop that likely closed, admitting he had been “economical with the truth.”

Ash recognized the lie, noting the soap’s scent was too strong to be that old. She left the kitchen and messaged Jason Trevor to ask where his late mother had lived and shopped, seeking the soaps’ origin.

Jason replied that his mother lived in Newington near Enderford in Kent and mostly shopped online. Ash searched for Enderford shops and found limited options, none obviously selling fancy soaps. With shops closed for the day, she resolved to call them in the morning.