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Ashes of Us

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Between Blood and Silence

A few days passed.

The mansion slowly returned to its usual silence.

Amanda Aaron had recovered physically—no more hospital, no visible weakness, no signs of that night.

But the bandage was gone… not the memory.

Even when she moved her arm slightly, a faint pull of pain still reminded her what had happened on that empty road.

She sat alone in her study room late at night, papers untouched in front of her.

For once, her mind wasn’t on business.

It kept drifting back.

The road.

The gunshot.

The sudden pain.

And then—

a face.

A girl holding her in the middle of chaos, hands steady even while her voice shook.

Amanda’s fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the table.

She didn’t know her name.

Didn’t know who she was.

But that moment… stayed.

The way she had said, “Stay with me.”

Amanda exhaled slowly, irritated at herself for even remembering it this clearly.

“Why am I thinking about this?” she muttered under her breath.

She stood up and walked toward the window.

Outside, the city glowed like nothing had ever gone wrong in it.

But inside her mind, it wasn’t the city she saw.

It was that girl.

The scooter girl.

Shelly Matthew.

Though Amanda still didn’t know her name yet.

She only remembered the feeling—warm hands on her shoulder, steady eyes in panic, someone refusing to let her fall even when she barely knew her.

Amanda touched her injured shoulder lightly, expression unreadable.

Strangely… it didn’t feel like weakness.

It felt like something unfinished.

Something she hadn’t expected.

Something she couldn’t ignore.

And for the first time in a long time—

Amanda Aaron was curious about someone… without knowing why.

On the other side of the city, Shelly Matthew couldn’t focus on anything either.

Her room was quiet, books open on her desk, notes half-written for university work—but her mind wasn’t there at all.

It kept going back to that night.

The empty road.

The chaos.

The gunshot.

And Amanda Aaron.

Shelly knew exactly who she was.

Everyone did.

The daughter of Aaron Alexander.

A name people didn’t say too loudly. A reputation people didn’t question twice. The kind of person the city both feared and talked about in whispers.

Shelly had heard all of it before she ever met her.

Cold. Dangerous. Arrogant. Untouchable.

But none of that matched what she had seen that night.

Not completely.

Shelly slowly closed her notebook and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.

“She was bleeding…” she whispered to herself.

But she still made sure those girls were safe.

Still drove them home.

Still warned them to be careful.

Shelly’s fingers tightened slightly around her pen.

And the strangest part wasn’t the fear.

It was the memory of Amanda’s eyes.

Not cruel.

Not arrogant.

Just… human for a moment too short to understand properly.

Shelly stood up and walked to the window.

Outside, normal life continued—cars passing, lights glowing, people living without knowing what had happened on that road.

But inside her mind, nothing felt normal anymore.

She shouldn’t be thinking about her.

She shouldn’t care.

Amanda Aaron was danger. Everyone said that.

And still…

Shelly couldn’t stop remembering the way she had held her arm that night.

Like she didn’t want her to fall.

On the other side of the city, Shelly Matthew couldn’t focus on anything either.

Her room was quiet, books open on her desk, notes half-written for university work—but her mind wasn’t there at all.

It kept going back to that night.

The empty road.

The chaos.

The gunshot.

And Amanda Aaron.

Shelly knew exactly who she was.

Everyone did.

The daughter of Aaron Alexander.

A name people didn’t say too loudly. A reputation people didn’t question twice. The kind of person the city both feared and talked about in whispers.

Shelly had heard all of it before she ever met her.

Cold. Dangerous. Arrogant. Untouchable.

But none of that matched what she had seen that night.

Not completely.

Shelly slowly closed her notebook and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.

“She was bleeding…” she whispered to herself.

But she still made sure those girls were safe.

Still drove them home.

Still warned them to be careful.

Shelly’s fingers tightened slightly around her pen.

And the strangest part wasn’t the fear.

It was the memory of Amanda’s eyes.

Not cruel.

Not arrogant.

Just… human for a moment too short to understand properly.

Shelly stood up and walked to the window.

Outside, normal life continued—cars passing, lights glowing, people living without knowing what had happened on that road.

But inside her mind, nothing felt normal anymore.

She shouldn’t be thinking about her.

She shouldn’t care.

Amanda Aaron was danger. Everyone said that.

And still…

Shelly couldn’t stop remembering the way she had held her arm that night.

Like she didn’t want her to fall.

The mall was busy that afternoon—bright lights, crowded walkways, luxury stores full of people shopping like it was any normal day.

Amanda Aaron walked through it like she never blended in anywhere.

Black coat. Calm face. Sharp eyes scanning everything without effort.

Behind her, her guards stayed close.

Too close.

Because danger always followed her name.

They were halfway through the main corridor when it happened.

A sudden movement near the upper floor railing.

Then—

panic.

One of the guards shouted, “DOWN!”

In seconds, chaos exploded.

Amanda was pulled back as bullets cracked through glass panels. People screamed, running in every direction. Storefronts shattered. Security alarms went off.

Someone was trying to kill her.

The attack was targeted. Clean. Planned.

But Amanda didn’t freeze.

She never did.

Her guards formed a shield around her, pushing her toward cover, but Amanda broke free instantly.

“No,” she said sharply.

One of her guards grabbed her arm. “Miss Aaron—stay back!”

Amanda pulled her arm away.

Her eyes were already locked on the direction of the shooter.

Cold. Focused. Dangerous.

She pulled her weapon out.

And stepped forward.

“Clear the civilians,” she ordered.

Another shot fired.

Glass exploded near her feet.

But Amanda moved anyway.

She returned fire immediately.

Fast. Controlled. Precise.

The attackers weren’t expecting her to respond directly.

Panic spread on their side now.

Within moments, the situation collapsed into chaos for them instead.

Amanda’s guards pushed forward, securing exits and corners while she continued moving through the corridor with deadly calm.

When the threat finally retreated, silence slowly returned.

Broken glass. Smoke. Screams fading into distance.

Amanda stood still in the middle of it all, breathing steady, weapon lowered.

Her coat had dust and small cuts from flying debris—but she didn’t look shaken.

Only alert.

A guard approached quickly. “Miss Aaron, are you injured?”

“No,” she said simply.

Then she turned toward the exit.

By evening, the news had already spread everywhere.

Breaking headlines flashed across screens:

“ATTEMPTED ATTACK ON AMANDA AARON AT CITY MALL”

“MAFIA HEIRESS TARGETED IN PUBLIC SHOOTOUT”

“SECURITY TIGHTENED ACROSS CITY AFTER INCIDENT”

Social media exploded.

Everyone was talking about it.

Fear. Shock. Rumors.

And in a quiet room far away, Shelly Matthew sat frozen in front of her phone.

She had just seen the news.

Her fingers went slightly cold.

Amanda again.

Another attack. Another escape.

Shelly’s thoughts tightened instantly—not admiration, not excitement… something more complicated.

Concern she didn’t want to admit.

Because no matter what people said about Amanda Aaron—

Shelly already knew one thing for sure.

That girl always ended up standing alone in the middle of fire.

After many days of tension, things in the city had slowly settled back into controlled silence.

But under that silence, power was still moving.

Tonight was different.

It was the grand opening of Amanda Aaron’s new luxury brand outlet—another extension of the Aaron empire stepping into the public business world.

The venue was filled with elites, businessmen, media, and their families. Flashing lights. Soft music. Expensive smiles.

Amanda Aaron entered like she owned every reflection in the room.

Black dress. Minimal expression. Maximum presence.

All eyes followed her instantly.

Among the guests stood Smith Matthew, speaking with other investors near the main hall.

And nearby, quietly observing the event, was Shelly Matthew.

She wasn’t here for business.

She came with her father.

But she stayed slightly away from the crowd, holding a drink she barely touched, watching everything carefully.

Then—

Amanda noticed her father.

Smith Matthew stepped forward toward Amanda as she reached the main stage area.

Their eyes met instantly.

The air shifted.

“Congratulations, Miss Aaron,” Smith said politely—but there was a clear edge underneath it. “Impressive expansion… for someone still so young.”

Amanda gave a small, cold smile.

“Age doesn’t matter when you know what you’re doing.”

Smith nodded slightly. “True. But experience matters more than ego.”

A subtle pause.

Amanda tilted her head slightly. “You seem confident for someone who almost walked out of our last deal.”

Smith’s expression hardened slightly. “Because I don’t like wasting time on unreasonable decisions.”

A faint tension spread between them.

Not loud.

But sharp enough for people nearby to notice.

One of Smith’s associates tried to intervene softly, but Smith raised a hand.

“It’s fine,” he said, then stepped back. “Enjoy your event, Miss Aaron.”

Amanda didn’t reply.

She simply watched him walk away.

Then she turned slightly and sat down near the lounge area, surrounded by executives and guards.

From across the hall, Shelly stood near a pillar.

Far enough not to be noticed.

Close enough to see everything.

And then—

Amanda looked in her direction.

Just for a second.

Not fully turning her head.

But enough.

Their eyes didn’t fully meet in a dramatic way.

It was quieter than that.

Almost accidental.

But still enough to feel like something paused in between them.

Shelly froze slightly.

Amanda didn’t react outwardly.

She just looked away first.

But something in her expression changed for the briefest moment—

like she had recognized something she couldn’t name yet.

Shelly slowly lowered her gaze, her grip tightening slightly on her glass.

Because somehow, even in a room full of powerful people…

Amanda Aaron was still the only one she kept noticing without meaning to.

Shelly stepped out of the main hall slowly, the noise of the event fading behind her as she walked into a quieter corridor.

Soft golden lights lined the hallway, and through the large glass window, the city lights shimmered below like scattered stars.

She exhaled, trying to relax her thoughts.

But she wasn’t alone for long.

Footsteps followed.

Controlled. Certain.

Shelly didn’t turn immediately. She already had a feeling who it was.

When she finally did, Amanda Aaron was standing there.

Calm. Hands in her pockets. Expression unreadable as always.

Shelly’s lips curved slightly, but there was a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

“So someone is bored at their own function…” she said, glancing back at the window. “And came here to watch lights from a window.”

Amanda looked at her for a moment, then followed her gaze outside.

“Better than listening to fake compliments inside,” Amanda replied flatly.

Shelly raised an eyebrow. “Everything there is business. That’s how these events work.”

Amanda stepped closer, stopping beside her—not too close, not too far.

“I know how they work,” she said.

A brief silence settled between them.

From the glass, city lights reflected faintly on both of their faces—so different, yet oddly aligned in the same frame.

Shelly crossed her arms. “You didn’t have to follow me here.”

Amanda’s eyes stayed forward. “I didn’t follow you.”

Shelly glanced at her. “You just happened to walk out the same time as me?”

Amanda didn’t answer immediately.

Then, calmly—

“Yes.”

That single word carried enough arrogance to make Shelly almost smile.

Shelly shook her head slightly. “You’re impossible.”

Amanda finally turned her head a little toward her.

“And you talk too much for someone who tries to stay unnoticed.”

Shelly paused.

That hit closer than she expected.

For a second, neither spoke.

Just the quiet hum of the building and the glow of the city outside.

Then Shelly looked back at the window.

“I don’t like those kinds of events,” she admitted more softly this time. “They feel… fake.”

Amanda studied her quietly.

After a moment, she said, “Everything is fake. You just choose what you want to believe in.”

Shelly glanced at her again.

“That’s a very… sad way to see the world.”

Amanda’s expression didn’t change.

But something behind her eyes flickered briefly—so quick it almost didn’t exist.

Then she looked away first this time.

And for a moment, both of them just stood there…

watching the city lights without realizing they had

started sharing the same silence.

Amanda stood there for a second longer than usual.

The corridor was quiet again, only the faint music from the hall drifting through the walls. City lights still shimmered outside the window, reflecting faintly on her face.

Shelly had just turned away.

Already walking.

Amanda’s gaze followed her.

Something in her mind shifted slightly—like a thought she had almost caught, but not fully.

She opened her mouth.

Not used to doing that.

Not used to asking.

“What’s your—”

But before the words could finish properly, Shelly glanced back over her shoulder, already mid-step, her voice light but rushed.

“I have to go now… see you somewhere.”

And just like that, she left.

Her figure disappeared into the corridor, blending into the crowd and noise again.

Silence returned.

Amanda stayed still.

Her eyes remained on the empty space Shelly had just left behind.

For a moment, she didn’t move at all.

Then slowly, her jaw tightened slightly—as if she disliked the interruption more than she should have.

“…somewhere,” she repeated quietly under her breath.

She didn’t even know her name.

But somehow, that bothered her more than it should.

Amanda finally turned away, expression back to normal, steps steady as she returned toward the hall.

But something had shifted.

Just a little.

And for Amanda Aaron…

that was already too much.

After the function ended, the mansion-like hotel suite was quiet again.

Amanda Aaron stood near the floor-to-ceiling window, a glass in her hand, city lights reflecting in her cold gaze. The noise of the event still felt far away, like it belonged to another world.

She wasn’t thinking about the brand launch.

Not anymore.

Her mind kept going back to the corridor.

The girl.

Grey dress. Calm voice. That attitude that didn’t bend easily in front of her.

A knock came at the door.

“Come in.”

Her manager entered carefully, holding a tablet. “Yes, ma’am?”

Amanda didn’t turn immediately. “I want every detail about that girl in the grey dress from the function.”

The manager paused slightly. “The guest list girl…?”

Amanda’s eyes shifted slightly. “Yes.”

No emotion in her voice. Just certainty.