For some reason, Ashley and Primo stayed on the line with Emma like curious kids listening to a teacher. Emma certainly had a way of explaining things that held their attention.

Ever since Emma left the country, she and Ashley had kept in touch — but mostly through short messages, nothing personal. Just updates about Primo and Emma’s questions about his preferences.

This was the first time they had talked at length about something together.

Ashley chuckled at the thought, drying her hair as she walked out of the bedroom. She had already put Primo to bed and finished freshening up.

"She’s not that bad," she mumbled, dragging her feet out while still toweling her hair.

As soon as she stepped out, she found Lucian standing beside the bed, phone in hand.

"Mhm," he hummed to whoever was on the line. "Do it as compensation."

With that, he ended the call and turned to her.

Lucian smiled faintly as he crossed the room toward her. He stopped just in front of her and looked down.

"You’re towel-drying your hair again," he pointed out, only to be met with a mischievous grin.

"At this point, I think I’m doing it on purpose," she winked. "Will you dry my hair again?"

He nodded without resistance. "Get on the bed."

She giggled and skipped toward it while Lucian stepped into the bathroom to retrieve the hair dryer. Honestly, having her hair properly blow-dried was something Ashley had never gotten used to.

Back then, she had always thought that sort of thing was reserved for someone like Isabella.

But even after she started using one herself, she still resisted it.

Why?

Because...

Lucian returned with the hair dryer and settled behind her on the bed. He dried her hair carefully, and compared to the first time, he had gotten noticeably better at it.

"Wow, Lucian," she said, glancing back at him. "Your fingers aren’t getting tangled in my hair anymore. I’m impressed."

A brief, smug smirk crossed his face. He looked genuinely proud of himself.

"By the way, who was that on the phone?" she asked, turning away again. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing major." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"What does that mean?"

"That person from the parent-teacher meeting," he explained, switching off the hair dryer so his voice could carry. He tilted his head as she looked back at him. "I forgot I promised to pay for his repairs."

The moment she heard that, her expression soured. "The van owner?"

"Mhm. He’s a parent of one of Primo’s classmates," he added. "So I needed to make it right."

"Huh," Ashley tilted her head, arms crossed, the gears in her head turning.

Before she could even say anything, he could already tell she was overthinking it.

"It doesn’t anger me," he clarified. "If anything, I find it... amusing."

"What’s so amusing about it?" she asked, but he only gave a mild shrug. "Hah..."

She let it go at that, and Lucian resumed drying her hair. Even so, she couldn’t help but keep turning it over in her mind.

Ashley could let a lot of things slide too — but never out of amusement. It was because she knew what she was capable of, and that if she wanted to live peacefully, she needed to commit fewer crimes.

Was it because no one had ever been so bold with him before? she wondered, turning her head as the sound of the dryer stopped and Lucian unplugged it to put it away.

Compared to all the schemes he constantly had to contend with, this one was almost insultingly straightforward. Annoying, sure. But amusing?

She nodded slowly to herself, watching him disappear into the bathroom.

"It would be," she muttered. "Definitely. He’s such a closeted weirdo sometimes."

But she was already smiling by the time he came back and joined her.

*

*

*

Days later...

For the first time in a while, Ashley visited the building where she would be taking office. She had been receiving live updates and progress photos, but seeing it in person was something else entirely.

"Wow, Betty!" she exclaimed, turning to her. "I’m impressed!"

Betty flushed and lowered her head slightly. "Madam, there’s nothing to be impressed by. I only oversee what the interior designers proposed to you."

"I know, but I’m still impressed regardless," Ashley laughed, then pointed to a vase in the corner. "Especially that change. It elevated the whole room."

Betty opened her mouth to respond, then sighed in quiet defeat. As long as Ashley was happy and satisfied, that was enough for Betty.

Then Ashley clapped. "Oh — I completely forgot to see their reactions!"

She bolted out of the office before Betty could say a word.

"Wait, Madam!" Betty called, hurrying after her.

Ashley reached a particular office on the same floor and slowed as she neared the open door, nearly tiptoeing by the time she peeked inside.

Rum, Red, Gin, Vodka, and Tank stood in the middle of a large room, looking around. The space was about eighty percent finished — as though the builders had prioritized it above everything else.

It was spacious, but instead of standard cubicles, there were lounge seats, two massage chairs, and arcade game machines. There was even a punching machine like the ones found at arcades. Dartboards lined one wall, and space had been cleared for a billiard table. A door led straight into a pantry with a full kitchen and dining area.

It looked nothing like an office.

It looked exactly like a game room.

Their mouths fell open. Their eyes barely blinked. Then, slowly, they turned toward the entrance, where Ashley stood leaning against the doorframe, grinning from ear to ear.

"This... this is..." Gin stuttered, his finger pointing over his shoulder. "...our office?"

Everyone waited.

"No," she shook her head, stepping away from the door and gesturing to the room across the hall. "That is your office."

She turned back to face them. "This one is your playground. Like a fun room for you guys!"

Vodka slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes glistening. Rum dropped to his knees, one hand pressed dramatically over his heart.

"We’ll leave you alone," he breathed.

Red, Tank, and Gin could only stare at Ashley. From where they stood, she seemed to be growing wings — soft and golden — with a halo forming above her head.

"An... an angel," Gin blurted, and the other two nodded solemnly. "She’s turning into an angel. It’s suspicious."

Ashley laughed, their reaction every bit as satisfying as she had hoped.

"Don’t cry, it’s fine!" she declared, rubbing her nose with exaggerated pride. "It’s just a little perk — and my way of thanking you all for doing your best that night."

Her smile stretched until her eyes crinkled shut. "You’re welcome."

Watching from the doorway, Betty’s expression softened as she took in Ashley’s face and then the five men she so often picked on. Before they had all left the mansion, it had been difficult to find the right words to describe the complicated dynamic between Ashley and this group.

But now, Betty could see it clearly.

Whatever had happened after they moved into the new neighborhood had genuinely changed things between them. And somehow, that didn’t surprise her at all.

The madam did have a rather strange way of winning people over.