Saying That It Hurts Yesterday

Amber pouted, "I have no other choice don't I? If I want to remain hidden longer. I have to act differently with every person I interact with."

"The flip phone?"

"Luke Edwards, top hacker of the police main force."

"The green touch phone?"

"Luis Cooper, current master of Cooper Empire."

They were like in a question and answer portion in an interrogating room.

"You already entered the Cooper Empire?"

"I have but my standing is not yet that solid, in order to gain something I must give more," she shook her head in defeat, matching it with a defeated smile.

Ashton quietly watched her until she finished fixing her things.

With a heavy sigh, she sat down on the bed.

The seven years were very tiring for her, she didn't get the chance to really enjoy. All her energy was focused on creating a big empire that could go against the Price Empire.

She was startled when Ashton suddenly knelt in front of her and looked up at her with a serious face.

"Wh- What is it?"

"Amber, let's do what you had first asked."

"I don't get what you are talking about."

"Let's get married."

Amber's eye grew wide as her mouth almost turned agape.

'What in the world is this guy talking about?' was the first question that appeared in her mind.

"Did you hit your head or something?"

"Do I look like that way to you right now?" Ashton asked seriously.

"This is too out of the blue, don't you think?" in turn she seriously asked.

"No it's not. I have been thinking about this for a while now."

"Huh? Wait, we barely interacted after you all left, what is going on here now?"

Amber's mind turned into a mess, she had so many people who confessed to her while staying at Star Country and she had always used her engagement to evade it.

But not once have she thought that this engagement would actually take another step.

"This is too abrupt, we just met again and now you're talking about marriage?"

"Abrupt? For you that is but you have moved me since the moment you selflessly jumped in order to save Ashley."

Amber just stared at him.

Ashton sighed, he knew that she would think of this as abrupt and out of the blue.

"I am someone who is very clear on my emotions," he started to which Amber raised an eyebrow.

Ashton glared at her, "I never denied anything you said, whether losing control or pushing everyone away. I only told you back then to shut up for I didn't want to accept it."

Amber still looked at him unbelievably.

Ashton who was kneeling was almost in the same height as Amber who was sitting, so he easily flicked a finger on her forehead.

"Ouch, hey what kind of confession is this? Wait are you confessing?"

Ashton sighed once again, he knew this girl was peculiar but he didn't expect that when it comes to this department she was actually completely clueless.

She was always able to know if something is wrong with someone but who would have thought that in this kind of thing, she was actually an indenial one.

"Why are you denying it?"

"I am not, I just told you this felt too sudden. Plus don't you still have Madison? Your attachment to her was quite strong. The password and picture in your laptop-"

Ashton squinted his eyes, "So you did peak when I was typing the password."

Amber pursed her lips and looked to the side.

"Look here, I won't push you to accept this instantly but I am being serious of pushing through with this engagement."

Amber looked back at him, her expression showed confusion.

She was focused on getting back to so many people that this kinds of things never truly crossed her mind yet, despite reaching the age of 23.

Even just the thought of falling inlove was something so foreign to her.

When she proposed marriage back then, it was due to the circumstances but she never would have thought of it as deep as people falling in love with each other.

She gave a wry smile as if mocking herself, seeing this Ashton came close.

"Let me shoulder everything with you."

He slowly hugged her tight, "Just as how you promised to get back at them with me, allow me to share the load you are carrying."

Amber was stunned.

"You have carried so much already and for sure you will be carrying even more things in the future. Let me be the one to be there with you."

Amber bit her lower lip, 'Who would have thought? Who would have thought I'd get to hear such words?'

She didn't voice it out but she reached her hand and hugged him in return.

"When you are tired, let me continue what you have to do. When you want to sleep, just do so and leave the rest to me. When you want to eat, I will cook for you."

She tried her best not to cry, people had been with her for the past six years. She had people she could call her friends.

But in the end, she still felt lonely, she felt like she was facing everything on her own. Hayley and the others were in a different country doing their best to create something that could help her.

She was grateful and happy but she still felt lonely, they were so far that when she's tired and just wanted to rest. No one would tell her to do so.

"To those who you want to take revenge on, let's do it together. Just as how you said you'd help me, I shall help you as well."

"And for your brothers, let's face them together. You don't have to do it on your own, not everything."

She sniffed, after her parent's death she thought she'll have to do everything by herself.

But Hayley's family took good care of her.

She met Carl, Blake, Devon and Aldger, people who became close to her like brothers.

She met his family and found warmth towards Ashley who loves her brother deeply.

She met Gideon, a grandfather she never had. He showered her with the warmth only those elders could give.

She steeled herself to face every typhoon along the way but was lucky enough to meet all of them.

"I won't rush you to answer right away, but I will stay by your side. You don't have to carry everything on your own."

He held both her shoulders and looked straight in her eyes.

Amber sniffed once again, "I never thought you're such a sweet talker."

Ashton once again flicked his finger on her forehead, "And you really loves destroying the atmosphere."

The two times he flicked his finger, he made sure not to touch her wound.

His eyes stared at the band aid, "I remembered you saying that it hurts yesterday."

He asked once again for she was still unable to answer it.

"I think it was about three years ago? When I started feeling pain, though during that time I only felt it when it was a tremendous one."

She replied as she touched the band aid.

"How about the side effect?"

"It lessened to around two to three times a year. I think the drug started losing those side effects after so long."

"And the mask?"

Amber pouted, "Can we have this question over a cup of coffee?"

Ashton shook his head before going out of the room first. Amber changed into much comfortable clothes before following him.

The scent of the brewed coffee welcomed her after going down. It smelt so nice that it gave her a relaxing feeling.

Upon reaching the table, a few pastries were there already.

And maybe due to her sleep a while ago, despite it already being late in the night, she was not really that sleepy yet.

"Oh wait a minute," just as she sat down she went up again.

Not long after she came down with a small bottle in her hand.

"You have heard right? About the incident? During the graduation ball."

"Mother have told me, they wanted to check on you but they said that you were dead serious in saying that you were fine."

"Because I really am fine, they don't need to be that worried."

Ashton looked at her, the way she said it, sounds quite different than the fine they were thinking.

She gave a smile, "My face is too much of a clue for the Price Empire. Despite my hair and eye color changing, my face has striking resemblance to one of the elder ones."

"Your grandfather?"

Amber shook her head as she bit on one of the cup cakes, "Did you bake this?"

"No, mother brought it over when she checked on me."

"It's delicious."

She took a deep breath and opened the bottle, applying it on the side of the mask, it was the glue remover she had specifically asked from Liana.

"I had some people took picture of half of my face, where the scar could be seen, secretly and allowed it to be spread. I'm quite famous the last few years you know."

Ashton stared at her and shock was visible on his face the moment she had removed the mask.