SURVIVING MASON'S WRATH

"Are you okay?" Xander asked, moving closer to Ashley.

Ashley took a deep breath and looked at Xander. "No, I'm not okay," she said, her voice low. "I don't love my mother, but I feel like I have to save her. I don't want to be an orphan." Xander looked at her, concern etched on his face. He put his arm around her, trying to offer some comfort. Ashley appreciated the gesture but couldn't shake the feeling that she was in a dangerous situation. Carl was standing right next to them, observing their interaction with a disapproving look on his face. Ashley couldn't help but feel like she was being watched all the time.

Xander understood the gravity of the situation, and he knew that this must be hard for her. "I'm here for you. We'll get through this together," he said, pulling her into a warm embrace.

To everyone's surprise, Ashley gave Xander a crushing hug, as if she needed it more than anything else in the world. Carl, being the old man he was, remarked, "Ashley finally has a boyfriend she hasn't changed like a diaper."

Ashley pulled out of Xander's arms and slapped him across the face for holding her back when she hugged him. Xander was a little offended, but he couldn't help but feel happy that his charms had started working on her. "Hey, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his cheek.

"You had no right to hold me back like that," Ashley snapped.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do," Xander said, looking at her with concern.

"Well, don't do it again," Ashley retorted, turning away from him.

Xander sighed and shook his head. He knew that Ashley was going through a tough time, but he couldn't help but feel hurt by her reaction. He decided to give her some space and let her cool off.

Ashley attempted to leave the group and go to one of the rooms to maybe look for some food and clear her head, but she was stopped by Carl. "Hold on, Ashley, we need to sort out the sleeping arrangements," he said, his voice calm and collected.

He made it known to all of them that there weren't a lot of rooms left in the mansion, so two people had to share a room. Ashley and Xander were paired to share a room, much to Xander's delight. Chris and Jake were paired to share a room, while Dave and his girlfriend were paired to share a room. The other gangsters were already looking at Ashley and Dave’s girlfriend with lustful eyes, sending shivers down Ashley's spine.

"I can't share a room with Xander," Ashley told Carl, her voice firm.

"Why not?" Carl asked, his tone calm.

"It's disrespectful to me. I'm the mafia queen, and you're supposed to obey me," Ashley replied.

"I'm sorry, but your father didn't leave any letter to me that you should be in charge of the headquarters after him. You and your group will have to go on missions to earn your keep and for your safety from Mason," Carl said, his voice unwavering.

"It's ridiculous," Ashley said, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"Perhaps," Carl said, "But it's the reality we're in. You and Xander will share a room. End of discussion."

Ashley was taken aback by Carl's words, but she knew she had no choice. She found herself in a room with Xander, who was sitting on the bed, looking at her expectantly.

"What are we going to do next?" Xander asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know," Ashley replied, her voice cold and distant.

"Is everything alright?" Xander asked, concern etched on his face.

"Everything is fine. Just go to sleep," Ashley said, turning her back on him.

Xander knew there was no point in arguing with her, so he lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't help but think about Ashley and the way she had hugged him earlier. He wondered if there was a chance for them to be more than just enemies.

Meanwhile, Ashley was lost in thought, thinking about Mason and the dangerous game he was playing. She knew she needed to be careful around him, but she also knew that she couldn't let him get away with what he had done to her and her group.

As she lay down on the bed, she couldn't help but think about Xander and the dream she had of them being lovey-dovey. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of any thoughts of him. She knew that getting involved with him would only complicate things, and she couldn't afford that in her line of work.

With that, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, while Xander lay awake, thinking about her.

***

Tears streamed down Mary's face as she clung to Mason's leg, begging him to let her go. "Please, Mason, I beg you. Let me go. Ashley is not my daughter," she pleaded.

Mason's face twisted with disgust as he kicked Mary's hand from his feet. "You're not going anywhere," he spat. "Ashley made it clear that you're not important to her. And I must make you important, even if I have to physically and mentally torture you. Or worse, give you the worst death imaginable."

Melody, who had just stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her chest, rushed to the stairs to see what was happening. She had seen Ashley's mother in the news before but never in person. As she looked down at the living room, she couldn't help but notice how fresh Mary's skin was and how beautiful she looked in her old age. "Mason, please don't hurt her," Melody pleaded. "Why would you want to torture a mother because of her daughter?"

Mary's sobs grew louder as she nodded in agreement with Melody. "Please, Mason, I'm begging you. I'm not Ashley's mother. You're making a mistake," she cried out.

But Mason's expression remained cold and unfeeling. "I'll do whatever it takes to kill Ashley," he said, his voice laced with malice. "Even if it means sacrificing you."