Chapter 45

The next day Ashlyn woke up all entangled in Conner's arms. She closed her eyes and sighed thinking about last night. He was being super clingy last night and she was a tad annoyed at it. She looked down and their positions and blushed. 'The effects are too intense. I need a cure.' She thought, feeling overwhelmed.

Her bathrobe was basically off her and his hands had been roaming everywhere. Thinking he was sleeping she tried moving his arm from her waist. "Morning." She heard him call out and she was stunned. She quickly sat up and closed her bathrobe.

"Don't go." He told her, pulling her back into his arms. "What's wrong with you?" She asked. " I don't know. I just want you." He responded making her heartache.

Conner looked into her eyes and was stunned at his own words. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 'What? Since when did I-'

Seeing his expression Ashlyn shook her head in disappointment. " I have to go." She told him and got up from the bed. She swiftly picked up her clothes from the closet and entered the bathroom. "Is there-" Knowing what she was going to ask Conner interrupted her. " The black switch on the right closes the blinds." He responded.

'So he did that on purpose' She thought. Ashlyn nodded and he could no longer see through the bathroom.

…

Ashlyn came out of the shower wearing a plunging self-tie top and a pair of high waisted jean shorts. She wore a pair of black ankle-strap sandals and did her hair in a french braid. She avoided wearing too much makeup because of the hot weather. She added her sunscreen and finished the look with a pair of sunglasses and a crossbody bag with a drawstring. The last thing she did was add her contacts.

She then walked towards the nightstand and started looking for the dagger she had earlier. "You're looking for something?" He asked with the dagger in his hands. He started examining it carefully. It was red in color and it wasn't very big. It was as big as his palm. There was something engraved in the crossguard but he couldn't clearly figure out what it said because she was already holding his wrist attempting to snatch it.

"Where did you get it?" He asked. Ashlyn laughed. " What are you talking about? I found it in a shop. It looked interesting and I bought it. I started practicing and learned a few tricks like hiding it in your clothes for protection. It was fun learning actually." She shrugged.

Yes... she was acting.

"Why would you need this kind of protection?" He asked still suspicious. " I don't know perverts?" She shrugged again and opened her hand so he could give it back. " I don't believe you." He narrowed his eyes. Ashlyn chuckled. " Seriously."

"Yes seriously. You didn't have it on you when I carried you here." He told her. " I told you I can hide it easily." She took it from him but he held her wrist. " Ashlyn it's dangerous." He mentioned. "Not when you know how to use it well." She responded. Conner sighed and let her go.

She watched her fold it with one of her shirts and place it in her purse. "Don't worry. I actually thought of selling it. Like you said I don't really need it." She shrugged again and Conner nodded his head.

Once she was done collecting her things including the script she chose and was ready to leave. When she was about to leave she met with Conner who was ready to go and take a shower. She noticed the clear confusion and unsettling feeling within him. She took a deep breath and decided to focus on herself for once. 'If it happened it would be at its own time. Don't push it. Memory loss is very complicated especially in his case.' She repeated those words in her thoughts.

" Bye!" She told him and he nodded. " Two of my men will be following you just in case." He told her. Before Ashlyn could decline him he added, "Don't worry, you won't even know they are there.

Ashlyn sighed and nodded her head. She then exited the room and swiftly closed the door to avoid any more conversation.

She relaxed her muscles and came off as aloof. She walked down the hallway and realized they were on the top floor. She entered the elevator and when the doors closed she looked up the security cameras. She placed her hand inside her bag and took out the blade. She gripped it tightly in her hand and the weapon dissolved into a red gas. In a matter of seconds, it disappeared.

Through her contacts a there was a red glimpse of light but it soon disappeared again.

She sighed. " Almost got caught." She mumbled and pressed the number on the elevator. She took it to the cafeteria area. When she arrived she noticed that the environment was quiet and calm.

People were drinking their coffee and eating their breakfast in a quiet environment. This made her feel much better because she hated the idea of noisy cafeterias. It simply annoyed her. She looked around the room and finally spotted the table where Luke, Lake, and Li Zi were seated at. Lake waved at her and she nodded in response. She walked towards them and took a seat.

She gave them a small smile and greeted them. "Are you feeling better?" Li Zi asked. "Yeah don't worry," Ashlyn responded. "I ordered your coffee and breakfast," Luke informed her, and Ashlyn smiled appreciating it. She thanked him and turned her attention back to Li Zi. " You chose a script right?" Li Zi asked with an excited grin.

Ashlyn nodded her head slowly and placed it in front of her. Li ZI curled her lips upwards in satisfaction. " The audition date is in two days. I'm sure your dance skills aren't that rusty right?" She asked knowing the answer. "I wouldn't have chosen it if they were," Ashlyn responded, taking a sip from her coffee. "Okay. Your stepsister is actually auditioning for the role but don't worry you have two advantages so I'm confident you will get the role." Lake told her.

"Really? What are those?" Ashlyn asked curiously even though she didn't feel at all threatened by the fact that her stepsister will also audition. "You have been practicing dance with me and aunty since little and…" Lake let Li Zi finish her sentence. "...You have me." Li Zi sent her a wink. Ashlyn chuckled. "Alright then. Get me an interview right after the audition. Just in case I 'Snatch' Someone's role." She told Li Zi sarcastically. Li Zi nodded. " Definitely it's better to take precautions against her." She responded already forming plans in her head.

"Now, I don't want to waste more time so tell me what is the plan for today?" Ashlyn asked and took a bite of the bagel in her plate. " We will go around the city and take some pictures for your social media. This way we can announce that we are officially in New York." Luke responded. Ashlyn smiled. " You guys are the perfect team." She told them sincerely. If she weren't confident in their skills she wouldn't have paired them together to assist her.

"Of course we are!" Lake cheered and put her hand in the middle. Luke placed him on top of hers and Li Zi did too. Ashlyn shook her head with a small smile on her face, she then placed her hand on top of theirs and they brought it up and cheered.

After they finished their breakfast they went back to their serious talk. " Okay, so tomorrow we will have a photoshoot. Although we will focus on your acting I decided to use our past strategy again. When they see your face in the magazine's everyone will obviously want to know who the new model for the special edition Lorean lipstick brand is. The more that's going around you the more news about you there will be. We will focus on getting as much attention as possible. Not only will this help the movies you take part in but it will increase opportunities." Li Zi explained.

Although Ashlyn didn't want to model she agreed. " That makes sense. Just make sure to keep me away from deep involvement. I have a pet peeve with those male models." Ashlyn sighed. Li Zi laughed. " Don't worry. I'll keep them away from you." She confirmed knowing the reason behind her request.

"Okay now let's go and explore the city. Let's get as many pictures as we can." Lake told them excitedly.