Ashley leaned back comfortably in the chair across from Natalie's desk, her expression casual as if she had all the time in the world. Natalie glanced up from her work, her eyes narrowing as she let out a sharp sigh.

"What did you just say?" Natalie asked, her voice laced with disbelief, watching Ashley idly inspect her fingernails.

"You heard me, Nat," Ashley replied, lowering her hand and sitting up straighter. "I'm requesting a reassignment. Take me off the job as Mia's bodyguard."

Natalie blinked, her brows furrowing. "And why is that?"

Ashley groaned, rolling her eyes. "Because it's a conflict of interest. I'm her personal bodyguard and..." She hesitated before continuing, "...I'm in a relationship with her."

"Hold on." Natalie raised a hand, halting Ashley mid-sentence. Her frown deepened. "You're what? In a relationship? With Mia Tran?"

Ashley furrowed her brows, clearly unimpressed. "Why are you acting surprised? Didn't I already tell you?"

Natalie blinked in disbelief, leaning forward. "Ashley!" she hissed. "I thought you were still in the dating stage!"

"Oh," Ashley mumbled, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. "That... well, actually, we never really dated."

Natalie's jaw dropped. "What?"

Ashley groaned, leaning back in her chair. "Look, just reassign me somewhere. I'm serious. Pull me off this bodyguard duty."

"You realize—"

"I know it's a conflict of interest," Ashley interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. Her cheeks flushed slightly. "It's not like I planned on falling for an actress while working. It just... happened."

Natalie arched a brow, unimpressed. "It just happened? That's your excuse?"

Ashley sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Mia's worried I'll get suspended because of her. She doesn't want to be the reason my career takes a hit. So, since you're my commanding officer here at Cantonal Police and the one who assigned me to her, I'm asking you to reassign me. Give her a new bodyguard, and move me to a new case."

Natalie crossed her arms, studying Ashley carefully. "Are you trying to give me orders now?"

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Call it what you want. Just get it done."

Natalie shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Fine. I'll find a replacement for Mia, but don't think this means you're off the hook. The higher-ups will still review this—and you know an investigation is inevitable."

"Yeah, yeah," Ashley muttered, standing up. "It's not like this is the first time."

She turned to leave but paused at the door, her hand resting on the knob. Looking back over her shoulder, she asked, "How's Azriel treating you after finding out?"

Natalie stiffened slightly, her casual demeanor slipping. "Fine, I guess," she replied, clicking her tongue. "He's not thrilled about us working together, but as if we have a choice. He doesn't want me talking to you about anything that's not work-related."

Ashley nodded, a faint smirk on her lips. "Fair enough. He's not... laying a hand on you, right?"

Natalie cleared her throat, her expression hardening. "What if he was?"

Ashley frowned, fully turning to face her now. "Don't even joke about that, Nat."

Natalie tilted her head, her smile bitter. "It's not like there's anything between us anymore. That ended years ago, remember?"

"Sure, it ended," Ashley said, her tone sharp. "But Azriel's still my brother, and I'm not okay with the idea of him putting his hands on anyone, let alone someone who has sisters and a mother to think about."

Natalie chuckled, shaking her head. "Relax. It's not serious—"

"So, what? You're waiting for it to become serious?" Ashley snapped, her voice rising. "Are you really that much of a martyr? Wake up, Nat."

Natalie sighed, standing up and leaning against her desk. "Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself right now?" she asked, her tone pointed. "Azriel's been trying to undercut your position at the company. You might want to brace yourself, because he's not backing down anytime soon."

Ashley laughed, a sharp, humorless sound. "Oh, Azriel and his childish games," she muttered, shaking her head. "Thanks for the heads-up, though."

She waved a hand dismissively as she turned and walked out of Natalie's office, the door clicking shut behind her.



Ashley crouched down, hugging her knees with one arm while using a wooden stick in the other to idly draw doodles in the dirt. She let out a quiet sigh, her movements slow and deliberate.

"Ash?"

She froze at the familiar voice and glanced up, spotting Maya standing nearby.

"What are you doing out here? Don't you want to come onto the set?" Maya asked, gesturing toward the bustling location behind her.

Ashley shrugged, letting the stick pause mid-doodle. "I'm not Mia's bodyguard anymore," she said with a soft scoff. "I'm just waiting for her to finish up."

Maya tilted her head, studying Ashley for a moment before crouching beside her, leaving a comfortable space between them. "So why are you sulking out here instead of watching? You look like a bored kid," she teased with a soft chuckle.

Ashley glanced at her, rolling her eyes. "Aren't you mad that I'm dating your actress?" she asked, her tone half-serious.

Maya laughed softly, shaking her head. "Why would I be mad? Mia's like a younger sister to me. Above everything else, I just want her to be happy," she said, a warm smile spreading across her face.

Ashley raised a brow. "And you think she's happy?"

"More than that," Maya replied. "She's back to her old self—playful, energetic, and full of life. She's matured, sure, but the way she's been carrying herself lately reminds me of who she was before... before everything. She's changed, but in the best way. It's like seeing a new version of the Mia I've always known."

Ashley chuckled, though her voice carried a note of uncertainty. "You're aware of the age gap between us, right? If this gets out to the public—"

"So what?" Maya cut her off, clicking her tongue. "It's Mia's choice, and I'm not going to interfere. My job is to guide her career, not dictate her personal life. If this is what she wants, I'll support her, no matter what." She stood, brushing off her pants. "Now, come on. Mia would be thrilled to see you here. She's been putting a lot into this role, and I bet you'd love to see how much she's grown with the skills you've taught her."

Ashley hesitated, letting out a sigh before dropping the stick in her hand. She stood and followed Maya to the set.

Maya led her to a vacant chair near the action. "Sit here," she said, motioning toward it.

Ashley settled in and watched as Mia worked in the open field, completely immersed in her scene. When the director called "Cut!" and clapped in approval, Mia's laughter rang out as she broke character. She turned toward Maya but froze mid-step when she noticed Ashley sitting there. Her eyes widened in surprise before she jogged over to them.

"What are you doing here?" Mia asked, glancing between Ashley and Maya.

"Found her loitering outside," Maya said with a laugh, handing Mia a towel. "Figured I'd drag her in to watch." With a playful smile, Maya excused herself, leaving the two alone.

Ashley leaned back in her chair, her lips curving into a small smile. "I was about to come fetch you—but not as your bodyguard."

Mia raised a brow, pausing mid-wipe. "Wait, you don't mean—"

"I spoke to Nat," Ashley cut in. "She's working on finding a replacement. Don't worry about it too much." Her voice softened, her gaze steady. "I told you, I'll do anything for you. So stop stressing over things like this, okay?"

Mia stared at her, her expression softening before a chuckle escaped her lips. "Gosh," she mumbled, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. "You always have this way of leaving me speechless."

Ashley laughed, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from Mia's face, her touch lingering just enough to make Mia's blush deepen.