The voice of her assistant came through, urgent.

“Miss Marshall, you need to check the trending topics.”

Ashlyn, still confused, quickly opened Twitter. As soon as her eyes landed on the trending topic, she froze mid-step.

Katelyn visited Vincent’s room last night? They were both photographed, and the photo even went viral.

Ashlyn let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Katelyn was not missing. However, the memory of Alfy’s terrified face lingered in her mind. Ashlyn made up her mind to call Vincent.

The phone rang endlessly before Vincent finally answered, his voice as cold as always.

“Miss Marshall, what can I do for you?”

Ashlyn had grown accustomed to his frosty tone and wasn’t bothered by it. Without hesitation, she said, “Alfy is trying to reach Miss Bailey. If she’s available, could you please ask her to call Alfy back? The poor girl’s in tears.”

Vincent stopped what he was doing. It was obvious now that both he and Katelyn had overlooked this issue. As he processed the situation, it dawned on him that Katelyn was still occupied. He replied, his voice quiet, “Alright, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Ashlyn ended the call, her brow furrowed, sensing something wasn’t quite right.

Just as she was turning to return to her room, a waitress suddenly appeared behind her.

At first, Ashlyn barely noticed her. But as the waitress drew nearer, Ashlyn felt something hard press against her side. Her muscles stiffened. A rush of emotions swept over her, but she managed to keep her face composed.

In a cold tone, the waitress said, “We need to talk in your room.” Ashlyn scanned the area. There was no one around. Even if she screamed for help, no one would hear her. She whispered, “Alright,” while trying to make sense of who the waitress might be.

Her time in Granville had been strange, filled with unexplainable events, as she had walked straight into the heart of some hidden conspiracy. The sensation made her uneasy.

However, as Ashlyn stepped into the living room, she spotted Alfy coming out, looking relaxed and dressed in a new outfit.

“Miss Marshall, Katelyn is fine. Thank you!”

Alfy cast a curious glance at the waitress, who stood too close to Ashlyn. With a hint of confusion, she asked, “Miss Marshall, are you already cleaning your room?”

It was still early, and cleaning seemed out of place at this hour.

The gun at Ashlyn’s waist pressed in a little harder. Ashlyn stopped for a moment, then offered Alfy a smile.

“Yes, it was a bit of a mess last night. I’m just relieved Katelyn’s alright.”

Ashlyn longed to ask Alfy for help, but the person behind her was too close. There was no space to move, and she knew that any attempt at resistance would turn the situation into something far worse than a mere threat.

.

.

.