Two hours later.
"Hoo… haa…" Watching Lorelei breathing heavily on the soft sofa beside him, a faint blush still lingering on her face, Ash Ketchum could only shake his head helplessly.
"Alright, I'm not blaming you. Just forget what happened today. I was only playing around. I'm not some devil who'll fall obsessively in love with you. That would be painful." Lorelei waved her hand dismissively and tried to stand up, but the lingering discomfort from earlier made her sit back down again.
An hour later.
"I'll talk to your father. Just remember what I said before. Don't betray me… otherwise, I might do something even I wouldn't be able to control."
Those words dragged up memories Ash had buried deep within himself. In his previous life, he had experienced betrayal from someone he trusted completely. That lingering shadow had pushed him into crossing lines he never thought he would. Even now, although he had taken his revenge, the memory refused to fade.
He had always forced himself to ignore it.
"Hey… I was just joking earlier," Lorelei said softly, her tone turning gentle. "Relax. I'm not going anywhere. If anything, I'll stay by your side alone, alright? Don't make that face."
Seeing the cold, almost suffocating expression on Ash's face genuinely startled her. At the same time, she began to piece things together in her mind.
So I really stepped on a landmine… is this because of Delia… and Lance?
Of course, there was no way for her to know about Ash's past life. She could only attribute his reaction to what happened between Delia Ketchum and Lance. Because of that, she grew increasingly worried about him.
Once buried memories resurface, they are not so easily suppressed again.
Fragments of his past life replayed over and over in his mind. Faces, emotions, betrayal. Ash clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
"Have Sabrina bring your clothes. You'll stay with her tonight."
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Ash threw his phone aside, barely restraining the surge of rage threatening to erupt from within him, before turning and leaving the private room of the bar.
(End of Chapter)
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