Leaning her elbow on the table, Mia rested her chin on her hand and gazed out the window, a soft sigh escaping her lips. It had been a week since that accident, yet Ashley's lips still seemed to linger on hers. She shut her eyes and bit her lower lip, her thoughts swirling. You're straight, right? she reminded herself, trying to shake off the memory.

"Mia."

The gentle tap on her shoulder jolted her back to reality. She glanced up to find her manager, Maya, watching her with a concerned expression.

"You okay?" Maya asked softly.

Mia chuckled, waving her off with a small shrug. "Yeah, just lost in thought."

Maya tilted her head slightly but let it slide. "The director asked me to let you know that the workshop instructor will be joining us today," she said. "He wants you to have a private session before filming starts."

Mia nodded, exhaling slowly. "That's good. It'll be nice to pick up some self-defense skills too," she said with a soft laugh.

"How have you been feeling these days?" Maya asked, taking the seat next to her.

"I'm good," Mia said, flashing her a grin. But deep down, confusion gnawed at her. That odd, persistent feeling inside wouldn't leave her alone. Why is this still bothering me so much? she wondered. It was just an accidental kiss. But no matter how much she tried to dismiss it, the memory lingered. It wasn't like she'd never kissed anyone before—she'd done plenty of kissing scenes in her career—but this... This was different.

"You seem... oddly radiant," Maya teased, nudging her playfully.

Mia arched an eyebrow, glancing at her manager. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Maya shrugged. "You don't look as drained or moody as usual. There's definitely something different about you."

Mia rolled her eyes, brushing off the comment. Before she could respond, a knock on the door pulled their attention. Maya stood and went to open it.

"Mia," Maya called, motioning toward the doorway. Mia tilted her head in curiosity before looking up—and froze.

"This is Inspector Natalie Weiss from the Geneva Cantonal Police," Maya introduced.

Mia quickly stood, offering a polite smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Inspector Weiss," she said, extending her hand. "I'm Mia Tran."

The inspector returned her smile, shaking Mia's hand briefly but firmly. "The pleasure's mine, Ms. Tran."

"Right," Maya interjected, clasping her hands together. "I heard you'll be helping us with the workshop?"

Natalie chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Not exactly. The director reached out for a recommendation, and I brought someone along for the job." She glanced at Mia briefly before turning back to Maya. "I understand Ms. Tran specifically requested a woman for the session?"

Mia nodded, subtly biting her lip. There was something about the inspector's composed yet intimidating aura that made her nervous.

"Don't worry," Natalie reassured with a small smile. "The person I recommended is an excellent officer. Let me give her a call. She should be—"

"You don't have to call me, Inspector."

Mia's breath hitched as the familiar voice reached her ears. She turned toward the door, her heart racing—and there she was.

Ashley stepped inside, her strides confident yet casual as she came to stand beside Natalie. "What do you need me for, Inspector? Oh." Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed Mia.

"Do you two know each other?" Maya asked, her gaze flicking between them.

Mia hesitated, opening her mouth to respond, but Ashley cut in smoothly.

"She's an actress," Ashley said with a practiced smile, her eyes lingering on Mia. "It's normal for me to recognize her."



Running her fingers through her hair, Ashley chuckled and shook her head. She leaned back on the couch, letting out a long sigh. Closing her eyes, she raised a hand, signaling Natalie to stop talking.

"Hold up," Ashley said, sitting up straighter and glaring at Natalie. "You didn't tell me I'd be conducting a workshop. You said I'd be handling a case... Inspector," she added, gritting her teeth on the word inspector.

Natalie clicked her tongue. "This is your case, Detective," she replied, pointing at Maya and Mia. "I hired you to be Ms. Tran's trainer for her upcoming movie," she added.

Ashley rubbed her temple, taking a deep breath. "You must have forgotten. I'm a detective—"

"And?" Natalie interrupted, still wearing a smile. "The training will last a month, starting this week until filming begins. It won't take up too much of your time," she added casually.

Ashley groaned. "Gosh, you're impossible," she muttered, glancing at Mia and her manager.

"Is everything... alright?" Maya asked, noticing the tension between Ashley and Natalie.

Natalie smiled at Maya, nodding. "Yep, everything's fine. Detective Ashley here will help you with the workshop—she's great," she said, her tone reassuring.

"That would be fantastic," Maya beamed, clasping her hands together. "Inspector Weiss and I will discuss the workshop location with the director, and then we'll be all set. We'll leave you two for a moment," she added, as both she and Natalie stood and exited the room.

Mia glanced over at Ashley, who was mumbling under her breath, clearly irritated. "What's got you so grumpy, weird detective?" Mia teased.

Ashley looked up, meeting her gaze. She chuckled softly. "Clearly, that damn inspector tricked me into a case, and now here I am, stuck as a workshop instructor," she scoffed.

"What's the big deal?" Mia asked with a playful smile. "If you're worried that I'm a handful, don't be. I'm not that bad," she added with a light laugh.

Ashley gulped, looking away. "It's not... that's not it," she said, her eyes flickering outside. "You know what? Never mind. It's already happening, and I don't have much of a choice," she chuckled.

"Aren't you excited to work with a celebrity like me?" Mia teased, standing up and walking toward the vending machine in the corner of the room. "It's not every day you get to see a celebrity," she said with a soft chuckle as she picked her drink.

Ashley rolled her eyes and stood up, following Mia. "Do you really think I don't see celebrities like you every day?" she asked, leaning against the vending machine.

Mia swallowed hard, spinning around quickly, only to find Ashley standing way too close. "Why are you so close?" she asked, her heart rate picking up.

"I asked you a question first, sugarplum," Ashley said with a teasing smile, pressing a button on the vending machine for a drink. "I get to see celebrities all the time. Nothing new," she shrugged.

Mia cleared her throat, clutching her chest as her heart raced. "So you're saying you know a lot of celebrities?" she asked, confused.

Ashley smirked, leaning forward and lowering her face to Mia's level. "I don't just know them," she said, her voice low, "I..." She sighed dramatically. "I mess around with some of them," she added, standing up straight and walking back to the couch, popping open her drink.

Mia's eyes widened, following Ashley's every move. "What do you mean, mess around with some? Like... wait..." She blinked, suddenly standing in front of Ashley. "For real?"

Ashley laughed softly, shaking her head. "That depends on you, Mia. Would you believe me?" she asked with a playful glint in her eyes.

"I'm asking you to confirm," Mia said, shrugging as she sat beside Ashley, leaving just enough space between them. "Are you serious right now?"

"Why are you so surprised?" Ashley asked with a smirk. "I already told you I'm a lesbian. Nothing to be shocked about. It's normal for an adult like me," she said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Are you talking like I'm a kid?" Mia raised an eyebrow. "For the record, I've kissed some of my co-actors too—well, at least for the scenes," she added, chuckling as she took a sip of her drink.

Ashley reached over and patted Mia's head, smiling. "We're different, Mia. Very different," she said, pulling her hand away and glancing out the window.

"Hey, Ash," Mia mumbled, lowering her gaze.

"Hm?"

"About that night... don't you feel anything different?" Mia asked, playing with the tab on her drink.

Ashley froze, mid-sip. She stared at Mia for a moment, blinking. "What are you—"

"You don't feel anything different, right?" Mia raised her head, smiling. "I'm the only one feeling this?"