Chapter 20

Ashley's cheek throbbed with the fiery pain of Thalia's cruel slap, and the room seemed to hold its collective breath, shrouded in an eerie silence. Her wide, bewildered eyes remained locked onto Thalia, whose cold, calculating gaze radiated a malevolent intensity. In this charged moment, the power dynamics at play and the sinister game that ensnared Ashley were starkly laid bare for all to witness.

Thalia's voice, icy and tinged with a disturbing satisfaction, broke the silence, each word cutting through the room like a blade. "You're here because you've trespassed into my territory, and you've committed a grave offense."

Ashley's thoughts raced, her mind a whirlwind of confusion as she grappled with the accusation that had been hurled at her. She had never intended to provoke these sinister individuals, but it was becoming increasingly evident that their world operated under twisted rules, rules she had unwittingly violated.

Thalassa, still wearing a wicked grin, couldn't resist add