Ashes of Us
Rain crawled slowly down the glass walls of the city, turning the midnight skyline into blurred silver lights.
Inside the top floor office of the Aaron Empire, silence felt dangerous.
Amanda Aaron sat in her father’s chair like she owned the world already.
Black suit. Cold eyes. Rings shining against the crystal glass in her hand.
Every man in the room feared her despite her young age.
Because she carried the same aura as her father — Aaron Alexander.
Cruel when angry.
Sharp when silent.
And impossible to control.
“You let him escape?” Amanda’s voice was calm enough to terrify people.
One of the men lowered his head instantly. “Miss Aaron, we thought—”
“You thought?” She stood up slowly. “That’s exactly why my father trusts me more than all of you.”
The room fell dead silent.
Amanda walked toward the terrified man, heels echoing against the marble floor. She stopped inches away from him and fixed his collar with slow fingers.
Then smiled.
That smile was worse than a threat.
“Find him before sunrise,” she whispered. “Or I’ll make an example out of you.”
Across the city, another world existed entirely.
Warm yellow lights glowed inside a quiet café near the university district.
Soft music played while students laughed over unfinished assignments and coffee cups.
Shelly Matthew sat near the window with books spread around her.
Messy notes. Business charts. Highlighter marks everywhere.
Unlike Amanda, Shelly looked at people gently, like the world had never taught her cruelty.
Her father, Smith Matthew, was one of the most respected businessmen in the city. Honest. Powerful. Clean reputation.
Shelly wanted to become like him someday.
“Still studying?” her friend teased.
Shelly laughed softly. “My presentation is tomorrow. I’m dying already.”
“You worry too much.”
“Because I care too much.”
And maybe that was true.
Shelly cared about everything.
People. Feelings. Small moments.
The complete opposite of Amanda Aaron.
That same night, fate quietly began moving in silence.
A black luxury car crossed the empty streets of the city while Amanda sat quietly in the backseat, watching raindrops slide across the tinted window.
Far away from her world of danger and power, Shelly stayed awake inside her room, surrounded by books and soft music, trying not to fall asleep over her notes.
Neither of them knew the other existed yet.
But somewhere between the city lights, family empires, and destiny—
their paths were already moving toward collision.
next scene
The conference room of the Grand Monarch Hotel felt colder than usual.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city while expensive perfume, tension, and power filled the air equally.
At the center of the long marble table sat Amanda Aaron.
Calm. Sharp. Dangerous.
Beside her were members of the Aaron business team, all silent enough to hear the ticking clock on the wall.
Across from her sat Smith Matthew.
Respected. Intelligent. Untouchable in the legal business world.
The meeting had started professionally.
But professionalism never survived long around Amanda Aaron.
“This partnership requires transparency,” Smith said firmly while closing the project file in front of him. “Your proposal leaves too many unanswered questions.”
Amanda leaned back in her chair slowly, eyes unreadable.
“Maybe because you’re asking questions that don’t concern you.”
Several people around the table exchanged nervous glances instantly.
Smith’s expression hardened slightly. “If my company invests millions, everything concerns me.”
Amanda gave a cold smile.
“You businessmen love pretending the world runs on honesty.”
“And you mistake fear for power,” Smith replied immediately.
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Amanda’s fingers tapped once against the table before she stood up slowly.
“Careful, Mr. Matthew.”
Her voice remained calm, but everyone in the room felt the warning underneath it.
Smith stood as well. “No, Miss Aaron. You should be careful. Arrogance destroys people faster than enemies do.”
One of Amanda’s team members quietly tried to interrupt. “Sir, maybe we should continue this later—”
“No.” Smith picked up his file sharply. “This meeting is over.”
The sound of the chair sliding against the marble floor echoed loudly.
Without another glance toward Amanda, Smith walked out of the conference room.
One by one, the investors and assistants followed him nervously until the massive room became almost empty.
Only Amanda and her team remained.
The silence afterward felt suffocating.
Amanda stared toward the closed door for several long seconds.
Then suddenly—
The glass in her hand shattered against the wall.
Everyone flinched.
“You let him walk out like that?” one man asked carefully.
Amanda turned toward her team slowly.
Her eyes looked terrifyingly calm now.
“That man,” she said quietly, “just made the biggest mistake of his life.”
No one dared respond.
Amanda grabbed her coat from the chair and walked toward the exit.
“Find everything about Smith Matthew’s company,” she ordered coldly. “Every weakness. Every secret. Every person connected to him.”
She paused near the doorway.
“And especially…”
Her jaw tightened slightly.
“…his daughter.”
-
-
-
The city looked alive after midnight.
Neon lights reflected across wet roads while music thundered through the underground racing arena hidden beneath the industrial side of the city.
Smoke. Engines. Screaming crowds.
This was Amanda Aaron’s favorite world.
Far away from meetings, businessmen, and fake respect.
A black Ferrari drifted sharply around the corner, tires screaming against the asphalt as the crowd exploded with cheers.
Inside the car, Amanda smirked slightly, one hand steady on the wheel while the other shifted gears effortlessly.
Fear never existed inside her.
Only adrenaline.
The car spun perfectly before stopping inches from the barrier.
People immediately surrounded the track shouting her name excitedly.
“Amanda!”
“Do that again!”
“She’s insane!”
Amanda stepped out of the car calmly, black jacket hanging loosely over her shoulders while smoke curled around her.
Her racing gloves were stained slightly, and a tiny cut rested near her knuckles.
She looked dangerous even while breathing.
One of her friends laughed while walking toward her. “You’re actually trying to kill yourself one day.”
Amanda grabbed a water bottle casually. “Not today.”
Meanwhile, near the upper viewing area, Shelly Matthew stood beside her university friends, looking both nervous and fascinated by the chaos around her.
“I still can’t believe you brought us here,” one girl laughed loudly.
“It’s fun!” another replied.
Shelly smiled softly while watching the glowing track below. “It’s… different.”
Truthfully, she had never seen anything like this before.
The speed.
The freedom.
The recklessness.
It scared her a little.
And excited her a little too.
Suddenly the crowd became louder than before.
“Amanda’s racing again!”
Shelly frowned slightly. “Amanda?”
“The Amanda Aaron,” her friend whispered dramatically. “Rich mafia princess. Crazy racer. Terrifying human being.”
Shelly looked down toward the track curiously.
At the same moment, Amanda pulled her gloves back on and entered her car again, completely unaware of the girl watching from above.
Engines roared violently.
Shelly watched the black Ferrari fly across the track like a storm.
And for some strange reason—
she couldn’t look away.
The final lap felt like pure chaos.
Engines screamed through the night while smoke burned through the air and crowds shouted loud enough to shake the metal barriers.
Amanda’s black Ferrari moved like something untouchable.
Sharp turns. Dangerous drifts. Absolute control.
And within seconds—
she crossed the finish line first.
The entire arena exploded with cheers.
People climbed onto barriers screaming her name while flashing lights reflected across the track.
“Amanda Aaron wins again!”
Amanda stepped out of the car slowly, breathing heavily but smiling faintly for the first time that night.
Victory looked natural on her.
One of the racers laughed breathlessly. “You drive like a psychopath.”
Amanda grabbed a metal bat from nearby without answering.
Shelly frowned from the upper level. “What is she doing?”
Before anyone could answer—
Amanda swung the bat directly into the front windshield of her own Ferrari.
Glass shattered everywhere.
The crowd CHEERED louder.
Shelly’s eyes widened in shock.
Amanda hit the car again.
And again.
Headlights broken. Mirrors destroyed. Black paint scratched violently beneath the flashing neon lights.
It looked insane.
Yet Amanda looked completely calm doing it.
“What the hell…” Shelly whispered softly.
One of her friends leaned against the railing casually. “Oh, that? She always does this.”
Shelly looked confused. “She destroys her own car?”
“Yeah.” Her friend laughed. “That’s Amanda Aaron’s way of celebrating a win.”
Below them, Amanda finally stopped swinging the bat.
Breathing hard, she rested the bat over her shoulder while the crowd roared around her like she was some untouchable queen of destruction.
Then Amanda smirked slightly and walked away from the ruined Ferrari without looking back once.
Shelly stared silently at the destroyed car.
A strange mix of fear, disbelief, and curiosity settled inside her chest.
Because no normal person celebrated victory like that.
But somehow—
Amanda Aaron made madness look beautiful.
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