"Very soon."

He only gave two words but his tone was clearly different than what he was using a while ago.

Amber stared at him, "My intuition tells me that you would really make it big in the underworld, you would reach the top. But you do know right?"

Ashton stared back before replying, "It was the most dangerous path and the most tragic as well. I might lose more people and hurt even more. But..."

After a pause he sighed.

"Carl was not just someone to me, he was a brother and a friend, I don"t think that you don"t understand, police force also have connections to the underworld. Some of them are even bending the evidences."

"I"ll rise to the top and make sure that those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds won"t be able to live the way they wanted. If I have the to kill more then I"d gladly do so, until the day that they will be the one bowing down on me."

Amber gave a smile, instead of being intimidated by his cold murderous aura, she found it enchanting.

"You really are softhearted."

"As if you are not one."

They hid behind the masks of coldness and ruthlessness, behind bloodthirst and murderous intents.

Both of them chose to be this way in order to protect the people who are more important to them.

In order to get back to those people who took their important love ones from them.

They were born not to be this way but as they grew up, fate or destiny gave them such tragic lives.

Their growth changed direction to where it was right now.

The two, once, young children playing by the beach located at the edge of Celestial Country. The two of them who were innocent and pure hearted became tainted.

But this taint?

They willingly accepted it and used it to grow and be stronger. The more failures they face the more growth they"ll have.

Amber looked at her cup that was already almost empty, before looking up at him with a smile and raising it.

"Then for the future we will bring."

Ashton gave a smile before raising his cup as well and toasting with her. He drank the remaining contents in one go.

"What?"

He asked upon seeing her staring at him instead of drinking.

Amber snapped out of it before drinking her own, "Wow, I never thought his smile could be so captivating. He was handsome indeed but he would be even more when he smiles."

She started debating in her mind, not noticing that Ashton was already watching her.

He also found out about this as they spent more time with her back then, her brows would furrow at times when she was silent.

At first he thought she was just thinking too deep but as he watch her longer, he can see that even her facial expressions would change.

That"s when he knew that she actually had the habit of talking to herself.

He shook his head before taking the cup away from her hand, something she didn"t notice. He went to the kitchen and washed them.

Upon coming out she was still sitting where he left her and a low chuckle escape his lips. His eyes twinkled for the first time in a long while.

"She really is.. peculiar."

He thought as he approached her before flicking a finger in her forehead. Amber was too shock that she had to look around in order to understand what had just happened.

"You should never do that when you are alone, you might end up into an accident," he reprimanded as she looked up at him.

"Do what?" she asked confusedly.

"Talking to yourself."

Amber"s ears turned red after getting caught red handed, "I am not!!"

"If you are not then what have I just done while you are sitting?"

He replied as he signalled her hand with his eyes. She looked down only to find them empty. It took her a few seconds before realizing that the cup she was just holding was no longer there.

The redness of her ears spread through her face.

"Go back up now and have a proper rest."

He finished before going up to the master bedroom only to hear her shout that she was not talking to herself behind him.

Amber stomped to the guestroom while pouting.

"I was caught. But he didn"t know that I was thinking about his face right?"

She started talking to herself all over again as she walked towards the bathroom only to b.u.mp her head on the door frame.

It was so strong that she couldn"t help but yelp.

She somehow started missing her numbness to pain that slowly disappeared through time.

And to make it worst what hit the door frame was the wound she got after hitting Ashton with her head.

Ashton who just came out of the masters bedroom, that was just across the guest room, to get something in the study heard her shout.

He opened the door just to see her squatting on the floor while holding her forehead and glaring daggers at the door frame.

Somehow he knew what had happened and he couldn"t help but to give out a low laugh.

Amber who was busy with the door frame, heard this and her head turned abruptly towards him.

She can see the teasing in his eyes as she glared at him instead.

Ashton sighed looking down at her, she looked like a child that was completely wronged.

He walked over and took her hand guiding her to the bed, allowing her to sit at the edge. He then opened the table drawer where a first aid kit was.

"Don"t talk," Amber interrupted him when she saw him open his mouth.

Ashton raised an eye brow and mirth was playing in his eyes. But he didn"t talk and removed the band aid from her forehead.

The wound didn"t bleed but her forehead was red. He applied some ointment around the wound before placing a new band aid.

"Since it"s already quite late, take a proper bath tomorrow instead. Just have a shower for tonight."

Amber just nodded like a good kid, after that Ashton returned the first aid kit and bid her good night.

She remained seated there for a good few more minutes before walking to the bathroom and taking a shower.

She didn"t try thinking anything in case she would end up in another misfortune. Instead she was in full alert until her head finally hit the pillow and she drifted to sleep.

*****

She was able to wake up early the next morning in order to make breakfast instead.

He had been doing all the cooking for the past two days and she didn"t want to become a free loader.

A simple western breakfast was served on the table just as Ashton was walking down the stairs.

When Amber looked at the time she asked him, "You have no work today?"

It was still a weekday after all.

"After what I have done do you think grandfather and father would still allow me to come to the office?"

Amber shook her head.

"They told me yesterday to take the rest of the week off. Then they will decide what will happen to me after that. How about you? You have something planned?"

"No, this time was suppopsed to be my arrival and I would be resting before getting back to work as well. So currently I just want to laze around."

Ashton thought for a bit as they started eating, "They are coming over."

"Who?" she asked as she eat another spoonful.

"The whole group."

"Whole group?"

"Blake and the others."

"Oh, well why are you telling me that as if asking for some permission? This is your home in the first place. Plus I haven"t talked to them properly after arriving here, it seems to be a good idea."

"I said the whole group, everyone found time and was able to escape prying eyes. They have just called me that they are planning to come here around noon."

"That"s why I am asking you what you mean by the whole group?"

Amber frowned as she asked him again.

"The whole group, including the others who came from the other royals."

A loud clang reverberated after she had dropped her spoon on the plate as she looked at him, her eyes filled with shock.

"M- My brothers?"

Ashton nodded slowly, "Well you don"t really have to face them if you didn"t want to. You can go somewhere else or you can just hide in your room."

Amber fell silent as she fell into deep thought. It"s been seventeen years since the last time she saw them in flesh.

Almost two decades and she believes that they hated her.

"Amber? I repeat, you don"t have to meet them if you"re not yet ready. It"s just they insisted on coming and I, too, wanted to meet them."

Hearing him say want, she made up her mind.l