BOUND BY CONSEQUENCES.

Ashley stormed out of the scene, her heart pounding with frustration. She didn't even spare Victoria a glance. She just wanted to get out of there.

But leaving in anger had its consequences—her best friend still had her change, and now she was stranded. With no other choice, she boarded a public bus.

As soon as she stepped in, a strange silence took over the passengers. Their eyes flickered to her, some filled with curiosity, others with judgment.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, gripping her bag tightly. Why were they looking at her like that?

Vincenzo sat in his car, jaw clenched, his cold gaze fixed on the road ahead.

"Who is she?" His voice was dangerously calm as he spoke to his assistant, Rogers.

Rogers swallowed hard. "I—I don't know, sir." He rushed to open the car door for Vincenzo, his hands trembling.

"You don't know?" Vincenzo's voice dropped, sending a chill down Rogers' spine. "So, when I ask a question, you think you have the luxury of waiting for my approval before finding me an answer?"

"I apologize, sir!" Rogers stammered. "I'll look into her immediately. The hired paparazzi have already started handling the rumors, and—"

"I don't care about the rumors." Vincenzo cut him off sharply. "Take me to the third building."

Rogers nodded quickly and started the car.

The third building. A place only three people in the world knew about. Whenever Vincenzo needed to think—to regain control—he went there. And right now, he had a storm brewing inside him.

And it all started with her.

Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and saw a message from her aunt.

Aunt Joanna: Where are you? Have you seen the headlines? What have you done?

Ashley's brows furrowed. Headlines?

She turned on her data, and there it was.

Her face—plastered all over the internet, with a dramatic headline screaming at her:

"The Rude Nobody Who Publicly Attacked Billionaire Vincenzo Sanchez—Will She Get Away With It?"

Ashley's mouth fell open.

"What the hell?" she muttered.

The passengers' stares suddenly made sense.

She scrolled down, heart pounding. Her pictures were everywhere. The story was twisted.

She was the villain.

Ashley's fingers flew across her screen.

"This is a lie! He was bullying an elderly woman, and I defended her! Why is everyone changing the story?"

She refreshed the page, hoping someone had believed her. But the replies flooded in fast.

"Shameless bitch, you still have the guts to show up here?"

"Attention seeker."

"You really think you can go against Vincenzo Sanchez?"

Her breath hitched. No one believed her.

Her hands trembled as she shut her phone off and shoved it into her bag. She stared blankly ahead, her mind spiraling.

When the bus finally stopped at her junction, she stepped out into a different world.

People whispered. Eyes followed her every move.

She greeted her neighbors. They ignored her.

Her chest tightened. It wasn't just online anymore.

As she reached her house, something caught her eye—Aunt Joanna's café was closed.

A handwritten sign hung on the door:

"Closed until further notice."

Ashley's stomach dropped.

Her aunt never closed the café, not even on bad days.

She ran inside. "Aunt Joanna?"

Silence.

Her heart pounded as she rushed to the kitchen. Her aunt was sitting stiffly in a chair, a newspaper in her hands.

Ashley's picture was on the front page.

Her aunt slowly lifted her eyes, her face pale.

"What have you done?"

Ashley's throat tightened. "Auntie, I swear, I didn't do anything! The story is a lie! I was just—"

Joanna sighed, placing the newspaper down. "Ashley, I didn't raise you to be a superhero. I raised you to be smart. Do you have any idea what you've done to us?"

Ashley's eyes burned with unshed tears.

People were already talking about the café. Their small business was at risk.

All because of her.

Her aunt shook her head. "Fix it, Ashley."

Joanna walked away, leaving Ashley alone in the suffocating silence.

Ashley dropped onto the floor, defeated.

She pulled out her phone, desperate for a distraction. But her inbox was full of emails.

"We regret to inform you..."

"Unfortunately, we are unable to proceed with your application..."

"After careful review, we have decided to move forward with other candidates..."

Her hands shook as she scrolled. Every job she applied for—gone.

Her phone buzzed again.

Victoria.

Ashley hesitated before answering. "Vic?"

"Ash, what the hell have you done?" Victoria's voice was sharp. Too sharp.

Ashley flinched. "You were there! You saw everything! Do you see what people are saying about me?"

Victoria scoffed. "Ashley, you brought this on yourself."

Ashley's breath hitched. "Excuse me?"

"What were you thinking? Getting into a public fight with Vincenzo Sanchez? Do you even understand what kind of man he is? This isn't some normal rich guy—this is Sanchez."

Ashley gritted her teeth. "I was defending someone! You of all people should understand that."

"I understand that you were reckless!" Victoria snapped. "You didn't think about the consequences! And now, do you know what people are saying about me? They think I was part of it!"

Ashley's heart sank. "This has nothing to do with your job, Victoria—"

"It has everything to do with my job, Ashley!" Victoria yelled. "Because now, my boss doesn't trust me anymore! Do you get that? You dragged me into this mess!"

Ashley's mouth opened, but no words came out.

Victoria exhaled sharply. "I can't do this anymore, Ash. Not this time."

And then, t

he line went dead.

Ashley stared at the screen, heart pounding.

Victoria. Her best friend. The only person she thought she could rely on.

She was gone.