Ash is genuinely having fun and he could end the fight now but he makes it last longer, granting brief moments of respite for Henry to somewhat catch his breath before the two clash again.Another thing Olivia cannot ignore is the way Asher moves.How adept and agile he is, swift yet always controlled, the experience and skills he honed throughout the years evident. It makes sense for a mob boss to know how to physically fight and defend themselves aside from firing a gun, but it also does not.Not to this extent.Olivia can tell Asher was put through self-defense classes, along with boxing and martial arts ones, among other things, and it’s strange. It has her tilting her head in wonder as she observes the one-sided battle, the questions that fleetingly arose flashing back in her head.An umpteenth element that Olivia muses about is how Ash circles Henry every now and then, tapping the sole of his naked foot on Henry’s immobile body before the latter moves again, shakily standing on

“Without an ounce of remorse or hesitation,” Asher immediately says. “You have to understand that I don’t let people cross my clan or me more than once. Ash does not. The only reason why Henry left the building alive the day of your moving out was because you were there. If you had not, Henry would be dead or held in my headquarters.”“Why did I make you change your mind?”Asher reclines and retracts his hand. “Because I wanted to hide Ash from you for a little longer.”Olivia curls her hand around Asher’s wrist. “You don’t have to hide Ash from me.”Asher opens his mouth to reply but Adam interrupts them.“Boss, any instruction for the body?” Adam asks and crouches to rummage through Henry’s pocket, retrieving a phone.“Get rid of it as usual and clean the place as well. Have some bribing at the ready in case the police get involved in some ways,” Asher says, the lollipop back in his mouth.“The car’s ready,” Walter adds after joining them. “We have a team checking Olivia’s apartment

When Asher hears Olivia argue with Adam and whine to him to back her up a faint smile tug on his lips. He wets his lips with an amused smile and starts answering her questions.“One: if you mean on an everyday basis, only me and my family live here. People working for me are given an apartment or house when they do so they can live outside of the headquarters if they wish to,” Asher begins.Olivia’s smile grows into a grin when Adam glares at her after Olivia whispers an ‘I told you so’ to him.“Some come to stay here for a while if their safety is at stake or if they simply want to, it’s an open house for the clan’s members. We have a second one like this but deeper in the forest and closer to the mountains, a couple of hours away from the main base.”“What is that second house used for?” Olivia inquires as she fully curls her arm around Asher’s when the latter makes no objection at his elbow being held.“We use that second one as a temporary home for the hybrids we help until all th

More people arrived while she was outside and Olivia quickly scans the place brimming with life and festivity. It’s a little awkward and daunting to be surrounded by so many strangers, even more with her, she is certain, swollen eyes, and Olivia moves closer to Asher to find some comfort and support.Thankfully, as Asher and Olivia make their way through the living room and to the impromptu buffet, no one seems to care about Olivia’s state, the people around them are busy conversing, some even dancing on the makeshift dance floor.A few stop them here and there with a brief greeting or to welcome Olivia to the clan but they eventually reach their destination. “Sorry, they’re a tad too enthusiastic sometimes.”“It’s fine,” Olivia chuckles, feeling more comfortable.“Feel free to tell them to f*ck off if they annoy you, they won’t take it to heart.” Asher grabs a glass for himself and fills it with water. “Here,” he says and hands it to Olivia. “Drink some water before anything else.”“

Olivia trudges to the group and she tries to get back into the conversation but her mind is preoccupied with Asher’s odd behavior.She glances at the mob boss.Olivia had never really seen Asher in his element, surrounded by the clan he built and created alongside his brother. Olivia has been watching him the whole night, stealing peeps here and there, observing the way Asher commands his underlings, this aura of authority natural yet calm, uncontested yet respectful and kind as Asher would give ‘Thank you’s, reassuring words and approvals to his members for a job well done tonight.So, Olivia quickly noticed the sour turn in Asher’s mood.The boss seems… pissed off, for lack of a better word. Asher’s gaze is darkened with a veil of ire as he surveys the room or peers outside the windows, leaning against the edge of the table.Olivia isn’t the only one to have caught wind of the mob boss’ aggravating temper if the way everyone deftly avoids the table Asher claimed as is any hint, non